^64-4- 


. — r 


y 


\  SG  G 


THE 


100k  anir  its  3ti}X^: 


A  NAERATIVE  FOR  THE  YOMG. 


BY 

L.   N.   R., 

AUTHOR  OF   "the  MISStKO  LINK."       >- 


hArs.Ellci 


■',  -A  Y)  V  /  .0  rcn 


NEW  YORK: 
ROBERT  CARTER  &  BROTHERS, 

No.   530   BROADWAY. 
18G3. 


ADVERTISEMENT. 


This  volume  needs  no  explanatory  introduction.  Tke 
"Story"  op  the  Book,  in  all  ages,  countries,  and  lan- 
guages, is  told  with  simplicity  and  truthfulness.  The 
work  contains  the  "Story"  of  the  Bible  from  the  first 
dawn  of  revelation  to  the  completion  of  the  sacred  canon, 
with  the  interesting  details  of  its  translation  and  circula- 
tion, from  the  earliest  efforts  until  the  present  time.  To 
tell  the  Story  of  the  Book  in  former  days,  a  multitude  of 
curious  facts  have  been  culled  from  works  of  difficult 
access ;  and  its  later  progress  is  illustrated  by  an  abun- 
dant variety  of  statements  drawn  from  numerous  authentic 
sources. 

It  professes  to  be  a  narrative  for  the  young ;  but  we  are 
greatly  mistaken  if  it  be  not  regarded  as  a  book  suited  to 
all  ages,  and  perused  with  interest  by  all  who  love  the 
Book  whose  Story  it  gives.     Wc  are,  indeed,  anxious  that 

the  younger  members  of  our  families  should  look  upon  it 

(3) 


4  ADVERrxSEMENT. 

as  a  volume  intended  for  them,  and  peculiarly  their  own. 
It  is  our  earnest  desire  that  parents  and  instructors  ol 
youth  should  be  so  fully  convinced  of  the  value  of  tlie 
Bible  Society,  as  to  lead  them  to  embrace  every  opportu- 
nity to  make  its  claims  known  ;  and  the  recommendation 
of  this  volome  may  be  regarded,  we  think,  as  a  likely 
means,  under  the  Divine  blessing,  to  interest  the  young  in 
the  great  and  glorious  work  of  Bible-circulation.  In  this 
simple  way  they  may  be  the  means  of  raising  up  a  multi- 
tude of  "  fellow-helpers"  to  the  truth.  If  it  is  a  satisfac- 
tion to  be  instrumental  in  causing  the  grass  to  grow, 
flowers  to  bloom,  and  trees  to  yield  fruit,  where  all  was 
barrenness  and  sterility  before,  how  much  greater  the 
privilege  to  be  the  means  of  leading  others,  not  only  to 
possess  the  Bible  themselves,  but  to  labour  and  contribute 

toward  its  universal  dissemination. 

T.  P. 


CONTENTS. 

PART  I. 

THE   BIBLE   IN    PAST   AGES. 


CHAPTER  I.  PAQB 

The  Book  and  its  circulation  by  means  of  the  Bible  Society — The  ages 
without  the  Bible — Voices  from  Heaven — Patriarchal  tradition — The 
flood — Renewed  corruptions — Early  idolatries — Ancient  Egypt — The 
pyramids — The  oldest  coffin — Thebes,  Karnak,  hieroglyphics,  Rosetta 
stone  —  Inscriptions  on  tombs — The  bondage — Moses — Arabia — The 
_Aj-abs — The  book  of  Job — The  Pentateuch,  how  written — The  Exode — 
Number  of  the  people — How  supported — Commencement  of  the  age  of 
miracle — Amalek — Wady  Mokatteb 17 

CHAPTER  11. 

Mount  Sinai — The  Covenant,  the  giving  of  the  Law — The  Jebel  Mousa — 
Jehovah — Seven  sins  and  their  punishments — Eleven  months  at  Sinai — 
The  unknown  thirty-eight  years — The  last  year  of  the  wandering — Mount 
Hor — The  death  of  Aaron — The  law  as  made  known  to  the  people — 
Fiery  serpents — The  death  of  Moses ,        .     35 

CHAPTER  IIL 

Entrance  to  the  land — Joshua — The  Canaanites — Joshua's  victories — 
Ebal  and  Gerizim — The  Judges — The  six  servitudes — The  times  of  the 
Kings — David — Solomon — Division  of  the  kingdom  —  Shishak  —  The 
prophets,  their  rolls — Table  of  prophets — The  lost  ten  tribes — The  lost 
roll,  the  burnt  roll — Captivity  and  return — Ezra's  ministry — Review  of 
the  history  and  prophecies  concerning  the  fall  of  Israel,  Nineveh,  Juda, 
Tyre,  Petra,  Thebes,  and  Babylon 4.5 

9 


10  CONTENTS. 

PAQS 
CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Jewish  Bible  complete- -The  Apocrypha — The  Septuagint — Daniel's 
two  pictures — Antiochus  Epiphanes — The  Maccabees — Judas  Maccabeus 
— The  Roman  power — Pompey — Csesar — The  Druids — Their  Hebrew 
origin — Serpent-worship — Druidical  remains — Greek  philosophers — He- 
rod— The  temple — The  synagogues — Traditions  of  the  Pharisees — Tar- 
gums — Pharisees  and  Sadducees — The  faithful  few — The  rabbins — John 
the  Baptist — His  ministry — Our  Lord's  advent — His  mission — Books  of 
of  the  New  Testament — The  first  century — Its  apostles  and  elders — The 
Last  Supper — Violent  death  of  all  who  partook  of  it,  except  John — First 
and  second  pagan  persecutions — Destruction  of  Jerusalem     .        .        .72 

CHAPTER  V. 

Gradual  circulation  of  the  New  Testament — Earliest  heresies — Uninspired 
teachers — Progress  of  the  gospel — The  Book  becomes  the  guide — Eight 
more  pagan  persecutions — Particulars  of  these — Dioclesian's  medals — 
Reign  of  Constantine,  his  mistaken  zeal — The  rise  of  monasteries — Pro- 
gress of  the  papacy — Alaric — Versions  of  Scripture — The  Alexandrine 
version — ^irst  protests — Vigilantius — Nestorius — The  Nestorian  Chris- 
tians— The  Armenian  church — The  Paulieians — The  Abyssinian  church 
— The  British  church  in  Wales,  in  Scotland,  in  Ireland — Succat — Co- 
lumba — lona  .         .         •         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         =.96 

CHAPTER  VL 

The  Fall  of  England's  Protestantism — Augustine's  mission — Bede — King 
Alfred — General  ignorance — The  Vaudois  church — Early  protests — 
Claude  of  Turin — Vaudois  colporteurs — Waldo — His  translation  of  the 
Bible — Sketch  of  the  Vaudois  people — Their  knowledge  of  Scripture — 
Innocent  III. — The  inquisition — Torments — Steadfastness — The  vows  of 
Luzerna — The  Bohemian  Christians        .......  119 

CHAPTER  VIL 

The  earthquake  council — John  Wiclif — The  law  made  at  Toulouse — Romish 
revenge  on  Wiclif — His  translation  of  the  Scriptures — Lollard  martyrs — 
Sawtre — Lady  Jane  Boughton — Lord  Cobham — Black-friars'  monastery 
— Site  of  Bible-house — Printing — Anger  of  monks — Use  of  monasteries 
— Reading  and  writing  of  the  Scriptures  at  Clugni — Translations  pre- 
paring— Gift  of  the  Vaudois  church  to  France — Olivetan's  version — De 
Sacy's  version — Colporteurs — Translations  of  the  Bible  extant  up  to  the 
sixteeth  century — Particulars  concerning  each 136 

CHAPTER  VIIL 

Tyndal — Erasmus — Tonstall — More — Wolsey — Search  for  Testaments  in 
I^ondon,  Oxford,  and  Cambridge — Scenes  in  St.  Paul's  cathedral,  and  at 


CONTENTS.  11 

PAGB 
Paul's  cross — Deaths  of  Tyndal  and  of  Wolsey — Description  of  frontis- 
piece, with  martyrdom  of  Ann  Askew — Luther — List  of  languages  before 
1 804 — Summing  up  of  the  narrative 152 


PART  II. 

THE   BIBLE    SOCIETY'S    HOUSE. 
THE  PRINTING   AND   BINDING  OP   THE   BIBLE. 


CHAPTER  L 

The  Bible-house — Its  library — Wiclif  s  Testament — Tyndal's  Bible — Cover- 
dale's  Bible — The  Geneva  Bible — The  Bishops'  Bible — Authorized  version 
— "Welsh  Bible — European  languages — Swedish  Bible — Polyglots — Dutch 
Bible — Luther's  Bible — Bohemia  Bible — Eastern  languages — Persian 
Testament — Pali,  Hinduwee,  Bengalee,  &c. — Separate  translations  of  the 
Bible  into  Chinese — The  Lord's  Prayer  in  all  languages — The  Douay 
version — The  Society's  departed  friends — The  manuscript  library — The 
Breton  Bible — Wales  and  Britanny — Syrian,  Persian,  Chinese,  Ethiopic, 
and  Amharic  manuscripts — The  Amharic  Bible — Mr.  Jowett's  account 
of  it — How  the  Society  obtains  its  translation — Their  revision — The 
general  committee-room — The  case  of  Bibles — The  Bible  for  the  blind — 
The  sub-committee-room — Portraits — The  Bible-warehouse    .        .        .179 

CHAPTER  IL 

Bible-printing  at  Shacklewell — Ancient  printing  office — The  compositor — 
The  reader — Stereotyping — Binding — Number  employed       .        .        .  199 


PART  III. 

THE   BRITISH  AND  FOREIGN   BIBLE    SOCIETY'S   RISE,   PROGRESS, 
AND    PRESENT    OPERATIONS. 


CHAPTER  L 

Rev.  T.  Charles — Particulars  of  his  youth — His  missionary  spirit — His 
usefulness  to  th«>  young — Scarcity  of  the  Scriptures  in  Wales— Circulating 


12  CONTENTS. 

PAGI 

schools — Committing  the  Bible  to  memory — Gro-wn-up  scholars — Meet- 
ing of  twenty  schools — The  little  girl  who  had  no  Bible — The  twelve 
peasants — Mr.  Charles's  visit  to  Loudon — Tract  committee — Wants  of 
Wales,  and  of  the  world — Formation  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society — Collection  in  Wales — Influential  friends  and  supporters — Ob- 
jects and  constitution  of  the  Society,  formed  alike  for  home  and  the 
-world — Its  principle — Union  and  co-operation  of  all  parties — PtCV.  J. 
Owen— Rev.  J.  Hughes 211 

CHAPTER  11. 

Arrival  of  Bibles  in  Wales — Answer  to  prayer  for  Mr.  Charles — His  visit 
to  Ireland — His  funeral — Want  of  the  Scriptures  in  Scotland  and  in 
France — Revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantes,  and  its  results — Sufferings 
of  the  Huguenots  and  VaudSis — Reaction  of  infidelity — Desire  of  Eng- 
land to  circulate  the  Bible  in  France — Oberlin  and  the  Ban  de  la  Roche 
— Scripture-readers — Bible  Societies  at  Waldbach  and  Nuremberg — 
Scarcity  of  the  Scriptures  even  in  Europe — Their  circulation  among 
French  and  Spanish  prisoners  of  war — Bible  Society  at  Berlin — Willing- 
ness of  a  priest  to  distribute  the  New  Testament — The  field  of  labour  in 
Asia — Chinese  gospels  in  the  British  Museum — India  and  the  Tamil 
language — Africa — America ,         .  230 

CHAPTER   III. 

The  Bible  Society's  "  Reports"  not  dull  books  :  what  it  is  that  they  contain 
— The  sway  of  Great  Britain  and  its  purpose — The  world's  inhabitants, 
in  five  classes — The  work  of  the  Bible  Society  among  each — The  way  it 
is  accomplished,  by  division  of  labour,  and  by  various  agents — The  Bible 
Society  like  the  banian  tree,  its  fibres  taking  root  in  the  Protestant  coun- 
tries, first  in  England,  by  the  auxiliaries  and  Bible  Associations — The 
system  gradually  matured — Arrangementof  districts — Ladies' committees 
— The  results  of  co-operation — Objections  to  the  Society — Lord  Teign- 
mouth's  answer — Mr.  Dealtry's — Mr.  Ward's — Operations  at  home — Ex- 
tracts from  reports  of  collectors — The  dying  child — The  old  woman  and 
the  wool — The  Bible-bees — The  gun  and  the  Bible — Mr.  Dudley's  review 
— Death  of  Mr.  Owen — Distribution  of  the  Scriptures  in  Ireland — 
Anecdotes 242 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Bible  Society  in  Holland — Ali  Boy's  Turkish  Bible — Prayer  for  Bible 
Societies — Germany — Its  religious  state  previous  to  the  existence  of  the 
Bible  Society — Dr.  Schwabe's  tour — Mr.  Owen's  letters — Prussia — Royal 
patronage — Switzerland — Antistes  Hess — Dr.  Steinkopff's  report^ — Lau- 
sanne Bible  Society — Sweden — Norwaj' — Iceland — Mr.  Henderson's  let- 
ters—  Denmark — The  United  States  of  America     .         .         .  283 


CONTENTS.     .  l3 

PAGB 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Jews,  aftei  their  disijersion,  in  Rome,  Spain,  Portugal,  France,  Ger- 
many, Turkey,  and  England — Their  sufiferings,  aud  the  remission  of 
these — Their  numbers  all  over  the  world — What  the  Society  did  for  them 
in  its  first  twenty-five  years — Letters  of  Dr.  Pinkerton  from  Russia — 
Jews  of  Thessalonica  and  Constantinople — Jewish  converts — The  So- 
ciety's work  among  the  Syrian  Christians  in  the  Armenian  church,  in 
the  Nestorian,  and  in  the  Abyssinian — Letters  from  Mr.  Pearce—Granta 
to  the  Vaudois  church — Its  gratitude 279 

CHAPTER  VL 

The  work  of  the  Bible  Society  among  Roman  Catholics — The  Greek  church 
— Distribution  of  the  Bible  by  Roman  Catholic  priests — General  willing- 
ness of  the  Roman  Catholic  laity  to  receive  it — Anecdotes — Leander  Van 
Ess — Ei-ance — Professor  KieflFer — The  prayer  of  the  dying  sister,  and  its 
answer — Austria  and  Belgium — The  Roman  Catholic  portions  of  Ger- 
many, Prussia,  Poland,  and  Switzerland — Italy,  Spain,  and  Portugal — 
Russia:  the  Bible  Society  there;  its  extinction — The  tribe  of  Buriats — 
Turkey,  European  and  Asiatic  ;  its  mixed  population — The  Turks — Fo- 
reign agency — Mr.  Barker — Greece — South  America — Dr.  Thomson — A 
few  words  on  the  Apocrypha — The  Mohammedan  countries — The  Heathen 
countries 300 

CHAPTER  VIL 

Death  of  Lord  Teignmouth,  and  of  Mr.  Hughes — Bible  colportage  upon 
the  continent — Osee  Derbecq — Characteristics  of  colporteurs — The  young 
Bible  collector  in  Jersey — Juvenile  Bible  Associations — Individual  efi'orts 
to  distribute  the  Scriptures — The  Testament  among  the  fishing-people 
of  Boulogne — A  tract  the  pioneer  of  the  Bible — Statistics  of  infidel 
publications 332 

CHAPTER  VIIL 

Jubilee  review  of  the  heathen  countries  of  the  world — The  Bible  in  India 
— In  China :  extraordinary  religious  movement  there  :  Sew-tseuen,  the 
leader  of  the  insurgents — Japan,  in  all  probability  without  a  Bible — 
Loochoo  islands .  352 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Jubilee  review  continued — Circulation  of  the  Bible  in  Australia,  Borneo, 
Tahiti,  Rarotonga,  Mangaia,  New  Zealand,  and  South  Africa — The  Bible 
among  Mohammedans,  in  Roman  Catholic  countries,  in  Austria,  in  Spain 
and  Portugal,  in  Switzerland  and  Italy,  and  in  France  ....  383 

2 


14  CONTENTS. 

PAGH 
CHAPTER  X. 

The  old  fountain  restored  in  Assyria — The  Nestorian  church— American 
missions — Dr.  Layard's  testimony — The  Armenian,  the  Coptic,  the 
Abyssinian,  and  the  Waldensian  churches — The  Jews — Jerusalem — 
Nazareth ■*05 

CHAPTER  XL 

The  Protestant  countries:   Holland,  Germany,  Denmark,  Norway,  and 

Sweden State  of  the  Continent — Lord  Bexley — Mr.  Brandram — Wabs 

—Scotland — England — Ireland — Home  colporteurs  and  collectors — Fi- 
nal appeal — Motives  for  renewed  exertion •  428 


^t  fnl  mxn  iU  §kt^. 


PART  I. 

THE  BIBLE  BT  PAST  AGES. 


e  %m\i  aiA  lis  St0rg. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  Book  and  its  Circulation  by  means  of  the  Bible  Society — The  Ages  without 
the  Bible — Voices  from  Heaven — Patriarchal  Tradition — The  Flood — Re- 
newed Corruptions — Early  Idolatries — Ancient  Egypt — The  Pyramids — 
The  oldest  Coffin — Thebes,  Karnak,  Hieroglyphics,  Eosetta  Stone — In- 
scription on  Tombs — The  Bondage — Moses — Arabia — The  Arabs — The 
Book  of  Job — The  Pentateuch,  how  written — The  Exode — Number  of  tho 
people — How  supported — Commencement  of  the  Age  of  Miracle — Amalek — 
Wady  Mokatteb. 

THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 

In  almost  all  the  houses  in  England  may  now  be  found  One 
Book — the  oldest  and  the  most  wonderful  book  in  the  world. 

This  Book,  the  Bible,  is  a  Revelation  from  God.  The  word 
revelation  means  the  rolling  back  of  a  veil ;  so  the  Bible  unveils 
to  man  what  otherwise  he  could  not  know  of  the  Great  God,  of 
man,  and  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  God  and  man  "  in  one  person 
for  ever." 

God  caused  holy  men  to  write  on  these  subjects  that  which 
he  taught  them;  and,  being  written,  he  meant  it  to  be  known 
throughout  all  the  world,  by  every  human  creature 

But  this  Book  did  not  always  lie  upon  almost  every  table  in 
England.  It  is  only  within  the  last  fifty  years  that  it  entered 
into  the  minds  of  some  good  men  to  help  each  other  to  print  and 
send  this  Holy  Bible  forth  to  every  land,  and  into  every  family; 
and  when  they  had  united  themselves  for  this  great  work,  they 
were  called  TiiE  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society. 

This  Bible  Society  has  a  hisloj-y,  and  they  wish  their  history 

2^^  17 


18  THE  BOOK  AND  ITS  STORY. 


written  for  those  who  were  not  born  when  their  Society  arose 
They  are  in  this  year,  1853,  celebrating  their  Jubilee — a  year  of 
public  gladness  and  rejoicing  over  the  work  already  done,  and  a 
year  in  which  they  wish  to  ask  their  young  friends  to  help  them 
to  do  very  much  more. 

Before,  however,  we  begin  to  tell  you  the  story  of  the  Bible 
Society,  which  is  a  true  and  glorious  tale,  that  will  certainly  stir 
all  the  young  hearts  that. listen  to  it,  to  desire  to  work  in  its 
service,  it  will  be  necessary  for  you  that  we  go  back  for  a  while 
to  the  story  of  the  Book  itself,  and  that  we  inquire  what  that 
Book  is,  and  whence  it  came. 

And  now,  while  we  attempt  to  lead  you  to  retrace  the  times  of 
its  beginning,  we  have  one  request  to  make,  that  you  will  read, 
with  your  Bible  by  your  side,  and  turn  to  the  references  made 
to  Scripture  as  they  occur.  You  have  not  to  search  through 
"  houses  of  rolls,'^  and  long  files  of  ancient  manuscripts,  to  see  if 
the  story  be  true ;  for  all  the  wonders  that  will  be  told  you  concern 
a  small  volume  that  can  be  held  in  the  hand  of  the  youngest 
child  capable  of  understanding  it. 

May  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  lead  us  reverently  to  seek,  through- 
out our  lives,  for  "all  truth"  contained  in  his  high  and  holy 
word,  which  is  able  to  make  us  '^wise,'^  and  "wise  unto  salva- 
tion !" 

THE   AGES    WITHOUT   THE   BIBLE. 

You  know,  perhaps,  that  this  world  existed  for  2500  years  or 
more  after  the  creation  of  mankind,  without  a  written  revelation ; 
and  Moses  tells  us,  that,  during  that  period,  the  wickedness  of 
man  was  '-  great  upon  the  earth" — so  that  a  just  and  holy  God 
swept  the  whole  human  race  away,  and  washed  out  their  remem- 
brance, with  the  exception  of  one  family,  saved  in  the  ark,  to  be 
the  founders  of  new  nations. 

Did  you  ever  think  of  the  way  in  which  the  Almighty,  in  the 
midst  of  this  abounding  wickedness,  preserved  among  the  few 
the  knowledge  of  his  Name  ?     He  held  immediate  intercourse 


THE   AGES   WITHOUl    THE   BIBLE.  19 


with  one  patriarch  after  another,  by  voices  from  heaven,  and  he 
had  spoken  much  with  Adam.  Adam  lived  nearly  700  years 
after  the  birth  of  his  grandson  Enos,  when  it  is  said  men  '"'began 
to  call  themselves  by  the  name  of  the  Lord.''  "With  Adam, 
during  the  days  of  his  long  life,  all  who  desired  it  might  con- 
verse. Enos  lived  far  into  the  days  of  the  holy  Enoch,  of  whom 
it  is  said  that  he  "  walked  with  God,  and  was  not,  for  God  took 
him."  Enoch  would  certainly  teach  the  truth  to  his  own  son 
Methuselah,  with  whom  he  lived  300  years  :  in  giving  him  his 
name,  he'  uttered  a  prophecy,  for  the  word  means,  "  He  dies,  and 
it  is  sent ;"  and  Methuselah  died  in  the  year  of  the  flood.  Noah, 
born  400.  years  after  Methuselah,  might  have  talked  with  him 
for  600  years  before  the  flood,  so  that  in  a  line  of  only  five  per- 
sons, all  that  Adam,  who  was  made  in  God's  own  image,  ''knew 
of  his  Creator"  would  be  handed  down  from  tongue  to  tongue ; 
and  doubtless  Adam,  Enoch,  and  Noah,  at  least,  were  actual 
"  preachers  of  righteousness"  to  all  who  would  hear  them. 

Shem,  then,  the  son  of  Noah,  who  lived  500  j^ears  after  he 
came  out  of  the  ark,  and  of  whom  it  is  said,  "  Blessed  be  the 
Lord  God  of  Shem,"  v/ould,  with  the  other  patriarchs,  convey 
all  that  was  known  of  God  to  the  people  fast  growing  up  around 
them ;  and  this  knowledge  would  at  first,  in  all  probability,  be 
carried,  at  the  dispersion  of  mankind,  into  the  different  districts 
in  which  they  settled.  It  is  thought  by  some,  that  Noah  himself 
went  forth  into  China,  Ham  into  Africa,  Japheth  into  Europe, 
while  Shem,  who  was  the  favoured  son,  remained  in  Asia — some 
of  his  descendants  peopling  Arabia. 

But  with  this  possible  knowledge  of  the  true  God,  wo  know 
that  very  soon  there  was  mingled  the  "corruption"  of  a  fortner 
world:  men  began  to  adore,  in  God's  stead,  the  sun  and  moon, 
which  they  did,  because  they  observed  them  to  be  moving  bodies, 
and  thought  them  living  ones,  in  the  heavens. 

The  Egyptians  named  their  kings  Pharaoh,  from  PJira,  the 
the  sun,  and  worshipped  them,  when  dead;  and  very  early,  as 
we  learn  from  the  picture-writing,  or  hieroglyphics,  on  the  walls 
of  their  ancient  temples,  mixed  up  their  true  and  noble  notion? 


20  THE   BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


of  God,  and  of  the  past,  and  of  the  future,  with  base  idolatries, 
not  only  of  sun,  moon,  stars,  and  men,  but  of  brutes,  reptiles, 
plants,  and  even  insects.  They  bowed  down  to  bulls,  crocodiles, 
lily-flowers,  onions,  and  beetles ;  yet  they  were  men  of  mighty 
thouo-hts,  and  their  ideas  of  building  were  so  vast,  that  at  this 
day  we  should  say  the  records  of  their  structures  were  fables,  did 
not  the  immense  remains  exist,  to  witness  to  the  truth  of  history. 
What  child  has  not  heard  of  the  pyramids,  now  believed  to  be 
older  than  Abraham  ?  Many  think  that  Job  spoke  of  them  when 
he  referred  to  "the  men  who  build  desolate  places  for  them- 
selves." 

Three  of  these  astonishing  buildings  stand  eleven  miles  west 
of  the  Nile.  The  largest  is  built  of  hewn-stones,  some  of  them 
thirty  feet  long.  A  French  engineer  has  calculated  that  the 
stones  of  that  huge  pile,  called  the  '^  Great  Pyramid,"  would 
suffice  to  build  a  wall  all  round  France,  measuring  1800  miles — 
a  wall  one  foot  thick,  and  ten  feet  high.  These  vast  mountains 
of  stone  appear  to  have  been  intended  as  tombs  for  the  kings  of 
Egypt.  Since  the  year  1834,  we  have  been  sure  of  this,  for  in 
the  third  pyramid  of  Ghizeh  has  been  found  the  coffin  of  the 
king  for  whom  it  was  built — the  coffin  of  King  Mycerinus.  For 
this  discovery,  Europe  is  indebted  to  Colonel  Howard  Yyse. 

In  its  sepulchral  chamber,  he  discovered  a  sarcophagus,  or  stone 
coffin;  and  on  the  floor  a  mummy-case,  or  rather  its  broken  lid, 
(for  the  pyramid  had  been  rifled  hundreds  of  years  before  by  the 
Saracens,)  which  proved  to  be,  from  the  picture-writing  upon  it, 
the  sarcophagus  and  coffin  of  the  builder. 

That  ancient  lid,  perhaps  4000  years  old,  is  now  in  the  British 
Mueeum  ;  you  can  go  and  see  it  there ;  and  the  far-ofi"  time  to 
which  it  belongs,  and  the  certainty  of  the  occupant,  throw  an 
awful  interest  round  this  relic  of  the  first  Pharaohs. 

These  ancient  and  extraordinary  Egyptians,  whose  thoughts 
seem  always  to  have  been  occupied  with  their  temples  and  their 
tombs,  believed  that  the  spirit,  when  it  left  the  body,  wandered 
on,  never  resting,  giving  life  to  some  beast  of  the  field,  some 
fowl  of  the  air,  some  fish  of  the  sea, — waiting  for  the  redemption 


THE   AGES    WITHOUT   THE   BIBLE.  21 


of  the  original  body ;  therefore  they  took  great  pains  to  preserve 
their  bodies  after  death,  in  time-proof  mansions.  They  had  no 
written  revelation  to  -which  to  refer,  to  set  them  right  when  they 
were  wrong ;  and  after  the  death  of  the  patriarchs,  they  derived 
their  knowledge  from  tradition,  or  that  which  one  told  another ; 
for  God  never  spoke  to  them  by  a  voice  from  heaven. 

Before  we  leave  them,  and  with  Israel  ''go  up  out  of  Egypt," 
under  the  care  of  Moses,  "  learned  in  all  the  wisdom  of  the  Egyp- 
tians," you  would  like  to  follow  with  us  for  a  little  while  the 
steps  of  recent  travellers  into  this  region.  You  must  take  nine- 
teen days'  journey  up  the  Nile,  to  the  ancient  Thebes,  which 
was  Egypt's  old  metropolis,  long  before  Israel  was  settled  in  the 
land  of  Goshen. 

Thebes  or  Theba  means  the  ark ;  and  the  chief  temple  there 
seems  to  have  been  built  in  commemoration  of  the  deluge ; — a 
boat-like  shrine  was  the  most  sacred  object  in  the  ancient  Egyp- 
tian temples. 

Thebes  is  a  city  that  was  thought  worthy  of  mention  in  Scrip- 
ture :  it  is  there  called,  "No-Ammon,"  ''populous  No,"  per- 
haps from  No-ah.  Its  acres  of  ruins  remain  to  this  day.  Belzoni 
says,  that  among  them  he  felt  as  in  a  city  that  had  been  built  by 
giants.  Its  situation  is  grander  than  even  that  of  the  seven- 
hilled  city  of  Rome.  "  The  whole  valley  of  the  Nile  was  not 
large  enough  to  contain  it,  and  its  extremities  rested  on  the  bases 
of  the  mountains  of  Arabia  and  Africa." 

It  stood  upon  a  vast  plain  describing  a  circuit  of  thirty  miles, 
and  was  called  "the  City  of  the  Hundro<J  Gates,"  and  the  whole 
extent  is  still  strewed  with  broken  columns,  avenues  of  sphinxes, 
colossal  figures,  obelisks,  porticoes,  blocks  of  polished  granite; 
and  above  these,  in  all  the  nakedness  of  desolation,  tower 
the  amazing  pillars  of  the  ancient  temples.  The  largest  and 
the  oldest  among  these  ruins  is  called  "  the  Temple  of 
Karnak;"  and  134  of  its  pillars  are  still  standing  in  rows, 
nine  deep.  There  is  no  other  such  assembly  of  pillars  in 
the    world :    they  ai^    covered    with    paintings   of  gods,   kings, 


22 


THE   BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


priests^  and  warriors :  the  walls  and  roof  are  still  glowing  with 
the  richest  colours.  Some  parts  of  this  temple,  at  least,  are 
older  than  the  days  of  Moses — 1600  years  before  the  birth  of 
Christ. 

The  interest  of  these  ruins  is  unspeakable,  because  those  who 
are  acquainted  with  the  subject  know  that  the  ancient  history  of 
Egypt  is  to  be  read  in  these  vast  old  books  of  stone.  Men  have 
only  lately  acquired  the  power  to  read  them.  The  picture-writ- 
ing "(or  hieroglyphics)  on  their  pillars  and  tablets  is  thought  to 
have  been  known  only  to  the  priests,  and  has  for  more  than  2000 
years  been  a  mystery  to  the  world.  Moses  probably  understood 
it,  for  ^^  he  was  learned  in  all  the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians," 
(Acts  vii.  22.) 

Mr.  Gliddon,  formerly  the  American  consul  in  Egypt,  and  who 
devoted  his  attention  for  many  years  to  tlie  study  of  hieroglyphics, 
has,  we  think,  made  clear  even  to  a  child  how  this  kind  of  writing 
arose. 

He  says,  ''  Suppose  we  wished  to  write  the  word  '  America'  in 
our  language,  in  hieroglyphics,  as  the  Egyptians  did,  we  should 
draw  a  figure  beginning  with  — 


HIEROGLYPHICS.  23 


A,  for  instance,  an  asp,  the  emblem  of  sovereignty;  2 

M,  of  military  dominion,  a  mace; 

E,  the  national  arms,  an  eagle; 

R,  sign  of  intellectual  power,  horns  of  a  ram ; 


W 


I,     the  juvenile  age  of  the  country,  an  infant; 
C,     civilized  religion,  sacred  cake; 

A,     Tau,  or  Egyptian  emblem  of  eternal  life-; 

"  To  show  that  by  this  we  mean  a  country ^  I  add  the  sign 

,  in  Coptic  '  Kah,'  meaning  a  country. 
^^  We  thus  obtain — 

A      M      E         E         I        C      A; 


C>  Tll^^^A  VA7 


COUNTRY. 


These  are  called  pure  hieroglyphics,  and  are  found  on  the  olde«t 
monuments  and  papyri. 

The  pure  hieroglyphics  afterward  became  linear,  or  line-like, 
as  reduced  from  the  rude  pictures — 


M 


THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORr. 


Pure.    Linear. 


A  Q-ecd,  used  for  letter  A. 


Kjachal,  symbol  of  aj^riest. 

A  goose  used  for  letter  S,  figuratively  the  hud 
goose — symbol  of  offspring. 


The  pure  class  was  always  sculptured  or  painted,  and,  in  gene- 
ral, both  sculptured  and  painted  were  employed  on  public  edifices. 
The  linear  was  preferred  in  ordinary  life  and  writing. 

This  writing;  became  known  to  the  moderns  through  a  slab  of 
black  marble,  with  inscriptions  upon  it,  in  three  different  charac/- 
ters,  but  all  meaning  the  same  thing,  dug  up  by  a  French  officer 
of  engineers,  on  the  western  bank  of  the  Nile,  in  August,  1  •■  99, 


Rosetta  Stone. 


ROSETTA   STONE.  25 


at  Kosotta,  not  far  from  the  moutli  of  the  Nile.     It  is  called  the 
'^Rosetta  Stone/'  and  is  now  in  the  British  Museum. 

We  have  given  you  a  drawing  of  it  for  those  who  cannot  go  and 
see  it,  and  a  specimen  of  the  characters  in  which  the  three  lan- 
guages are  written.  Learned  men  found  they  could  read  the  last 
inscription  in  Greek;  and  then,  letter  by  letter,  and  with  much 
pains-taking,  they  found  the  alphabet  of  the  two  others;  and  so 
this  stone,  more  valuable  to  them  than  the  wonderful  Koh-i-noor, 
has  enabled  them  to  read  the  histories  of  those  grand,  old,  dead 
kings,  on  their  tombs. 

The  event  recorded  on  the  stone  is  not  so  wonderful  in  itself: 
it  concerns  the  coronation  of  King  Epiphanes,  which  took  place 
at  Memphis,  196  years  before  Christ;  but  whatever  be  the  in- 
scription, it  has  proved  the  key  to  many  more. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  inscriptions  on  the  tombs  at  Thebes 
is  the  balance  scene,  which  is  laid  in  the  world  of  spirits.  Osiris, 
the  chief  god  of  the  Egyptians,  is  seated  on  a  throne  of  judgment, 
with  Isis  his  consort  by  his  side ;  a  soul  is  conducted  into  his  pre- 
sence. Anubis,  painted  with  the  head  of  a  jackal,  superintends 
the  balance,  in  which  the  good  and  bad  actions  of  the  soul  are 
laid;  and  Thoth,  a  kind  of  recording  angel,  having  the  head  of  a 
hawk,  stands  by,  with  a  tablet  and  pen  in  his  hand,  to  record  the 
judgment  given.  ^ 

There  are  also  upon  the  walls  of  Thebes  inscriptions  a  thousand 
times  more  interesting  than  this  to  the  readers  of  the  Bible,  be- 
cause they  serve  as  proofs  of  the  events  which  it  records.  The 
bondage  of  the  children  of  Israel,  in  Egypt,  is  thus  confirmed  by 
a  tablet  representing  them  on  the  tomb  of  Bekshare.  Bekshare 
is  known  to  have  been  the  chief  architect  of  the  temples  and  palaces 
at  Thebes,  under  Pharaoh  Moeris.  The  physiognomy  of  the  Jews 
it  is  impossible  to  mistake  :  and  the  splashes  of  clay  with  which 
their  bodies  are  covered, — the  idea  of  labour  that  is  conveyed, — 
the  Egyptian  taskmaster  seated  with  his  heavy  baton,  whose  blows 
would  certainly  visit  some  weary  slave,  resting  a  moment  from  his 
toilsome  task  of  making  bricks,  and  spreading  them  to  dry  in  the 
burning  sun  of  Egypt, — all  give  proof  of  the  exactness  of  the 

3 


26  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


Scripture  phrase.  ^^  all  their  service  that  they  made  them  serve 
was  with  rigour/' 

The  inscription  at  the  top  of  the  picture  to  the  right  reads, 
"  Captives  brought  by  his  majesty,  to  build  the  temples  of  the 
Great  God."  This  probably  means,  that  the  family  or  gang  of 
Israelites,  here  represented,  had  been  marched  up  from  Goshen, 
and  attached  to  the  building  of  the  temple;  at  Thebes.  We  know, 
from  Exod.  i.  11,  12,  that  they  were  compelled  to  build  "for 
Pharaoh  treasure-cities,  Pithom  and  Raamses." 

But  the  time  of  that  bondage  had  an  end,  and  the  '^  sigh"  and 
'^  cry''  of  the  oppressed  people  came  up  unto  God.  They  had  not 
forgotten  that  they  were  the  children  of  a  Mighty  Promise ;  and 
God,  too,  looked  down  upon  them,  and  heard  their  groaning, 
and  remembered  his  covenant  with  Abraham,  with  Isaac,  and 
with  Jacob. 

He  had  so  ordered  it,  that  eighty  years  before,  one  of  the  He- 
Drew  babes  doomed  to  destruction  had,  by  its  exceeding  beauty, 
won  the  favour  of  Pharaoh's  daughter;  and  the  child,  separated 
from  its  people,  had  grown  up  "beneath  the  shadow  of  the  Egyp- 
tian throne ;  yet,  nursed  by  its  mother  in  its  early  days,  and  taught, 
while  she  nursed  him,  all  she  knew  of  the  dealings  of  God  with 
his  people  in  the  ages  before  the  flood  and  after  it,  Moses  had 
treasured  her  sayings  in  his  heart.  He  could  not  be  ignorant  of 
the  future  prospects  of  his  race ;  and  it  seems  that  he  considered 
he  was  raised  up  to  deliver  them  at  once,  in  the  hour  when  he 
smote  the  Egyptian  for  their  sake ;  but  they  rejected  his  help, 
learned  though  he  was,  and  "  mighty  in  words  and  in  deeds." 

He  was  then  only  forty  years  of  age ;  and  God  had  lessons  for 
him  to  learn  for  forty  years  more,  in  the  solitudes  of  Midian,  of  a 
very  different  kind  from  those  which  he  had  learned  in  Egypt,  but 
equally  necessary  to  fit  him  to  be  the  leader  of  this  chosen  people. 

Here,  by  a  long  process  of  quiet  teaching,  the  ardent  zeal  of 
his  youth  was  mellowed  by  tlat  spirit  of  humility  and  patience 
which  the  Divine  Being  poured  out  upon  him.  This  fresh  '^wis- 
dom" was  given  to  him  in  Arabia;  and  with  Arabia  we  must 
begin  a  new  section. 


ARABIA  27 


ARABIA. 


The  thrive  great  nations  of  remote  antiquity  are  the  Egyptians, 
the  Arabians,  and  the  Jews. 

The  Arabs  are  a  people  who  can  bring  monuments  of  their  his- 
tory almost  from  the  very  deluge.  For  the  nature  of  their  coun- 
try, its  three  divisions,  its  three  evils,  its  three  animals,  and  its 
three  productions,  we  advise  you  to  search  in  that  beautiful  bool^, 
called  "  Far  Off,''*  which  is,  or  ought  to  be,  in  all  our  school- 
rooms ;  and  to  the  information  you  will  there  find,  we  will  add  a 
few  more  particulars,  as  we  wish  you  to  realize  Arabia,  especially 
the  north-western  part  of  it,  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  Moses. 

Arabia  has  been  called  "  Africa  in  little."  It  was,  as  it  is  now^ 
a  country  without  a  navigable  river — the  camel  its  ship  of  com 
merce,  and  its  horses  the  finest  in  the  world.  ''An  Arab,  on  a 
mare  unrivalled  for  speed  and  endurance,  is  his  own  master,"  says 
Mr.  Layard,  "  and  can  defy  the  world.  Without  his  mare,  money 
would  be  of  no  value  to  him ;  he  could  only  keep  the  gold  by 
burying  it  in  some  secret  place ;  and  he  is  himself  never  two  days 
in  the  same  spot,  but  wanders  over  three  or  four  hundred  miles  in 
the  space  of  a  few  months.  Give  him  the  desert,  his  mare,  and 
his  spear,  with  power  to  plunder  and  rob  for  the  mere  pleasure 
and  excitement  it  affords,  and  he  will  not  envy  the  wealth  or 
power  of  the  greatest  of  the  earth." 

rfuch  was  and  such  is  the  Bedouin  of  the  deserts — the  Saracen 
of  the  middle  ages — who  has  never  by  any  conquest  been  driven 
out  of  his  country — a  vast  space  of  winding  sands,  where  those 
who  travel  now  declare  that  not  even  a  wolf  can  live  three  days 
unless  he  feeds  on  stone  and  granite.  Perhaps,  because  it  is  such 
a  country,  the  Arab  has  of  necessity  reaped  the  harvests  of  sur 
rounding  lands, — ''his  hand  against  every  man,  and  every  man's 
hand  against  him."  His  fathers  have  been  the  conquerors  of  all 
modern  eastern  nations,  and  his  langauige  is  spoken  more  or  less 
from  India  to  the  Atlantic.     The  Arabs  say  that  they  are  sprung 

*  By  the  author  of  ''Line  upon  Line,"  and  "Near  Horu;." 


28  THE   BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


from  two  sources,  that  a  i)art  of  tliem  are  the  sons  of  Ishmael, 
and  are  the  naturalized  Arabs,  but  that  the  pure  Arabs,  ^^  Arab- 
el- Arab,"  are  t^e  sons  of  Joktan,  the  great-great-grandson  of 
Shem.  "VYe  shall  only  notice,  among  their  tribes,  the  Jobaritae, 
who  are  said  to  claim  descent  from  Job  of  the  Bible.* 

Now,  it  is  by  almost  jill  learned  men  admitted  that  the  book 
of  Job  is  of  extreme  antiquity.  The  Syrian  Cliristians  place  it 
as  the  first  book  in  their  Bibles.  It  may  give  you  a  new  and 
very  interesting  view  of  this  book  if,  after  reading  the  first  ten 
chapters  of  Genesis,  the  account  of  the  creation  and  the  flood, 
you  read  the  history  of  this  patriarch  before  commencing  the  life 
of  Abraham.  Job  is  believed,  by  some  of  the  most  eminent  eastern 
scholars,  to  have  been  an  Arabian  emir,  or  chief;  and  his  story 
casts,  we  think,  "  a  flood  of  light  on  an  otherwise  dark  part  of 
the  world's  history.^f 

We  can  imagine  Moses,  in  Midian,  which  was  a  neighbouring 
district  to  that  in  which  Job  had  lived,  centuries  before,  as  find- 
ing in  some  written  character,  which  he  from  his  Egyptian  wis- 
dom understood,  the  records  left  of  this  great  man,  before  whom 
"  princes  and  nobles  had  been  silent,"  and,  under  the  immediate 
inspiration  of  God,  casting  these  records  into  the  form  of  a  He- 
brew poem,  as  a  picture  of  patience  and  impatience,  for  the 
benefit  of  his  sufiering  brethren.  The  book  of  Job  is  generally 
considered  to  have  been  written  or  translated  by  Moses.  Pos- 
sibly he  also  wrote  in  Midian,  in  the  long  days  of  his  secluded 
shepherd  life,  and  also  by  God's  teaching,  the  book  of  Genesis. 

We  must  give  you  a  few  reasons  why  it  has  been  supposed  that 
the  book  of  Job  is  so  old. 

His  long  life  of  certainly  two,  and  perhaps  three  or  four,  hun- 
dred years. 

The  absence  of  any  reference  in  the  book  to  God's  dealings 
with  Abraham  or  his  children ;  and  of  any  notice  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 


*  Forstcr's  "  Geography  of  Arabia." 
t  Smith's  "Patriarchal  Age,"  p.  -Ilfi. 


THE    PENTATEUCH.  ^9 


The  worship  of  the  sun  and  moon  being  the  only  species  of 
idolatry  mentioned  in  the  book,  (Job  xxxi.  26.) 

The  manners  and  customs  described,  which  are  those  of  the 
earliest  patriarchs. 

And  Job's  religion,  which  is  exactly  and  purely  patriarchal. 

The  learned  men  above  referred  to  are  of  opinion  that  there  is 
sufficient  proof  that  Job  lived  between  the  deluge  and  the  call  of 
Abraham,'*'  so  that  God  never  left  the  world  at  any  period  with- 
out a  witness  to  his  truth.  The  magnificence  of  the  thoughts 
uttered  both  by  Job  and  his  friends,  and,  above  all,  by  God, 
when  he  answered  Job  out  of  the  whirlwind,  you  will  perceive 
more  and  more  as  you  grow  older;  and,  as  you  are  reading,  you 
will  indeed  be  ready  to  say,  "  How  much  these  ancient  Arabians 
knew  of  God  I"  The  patriarch  Job  and  his  friends,  notwith- 
standing the  mistakes  they  made,  are  men  who  seem  to  have  con- 
versed with  the  Invisible,  to  have  read  him  reverently  in  the 
vast  volume  of  his  works,  and  also  to  have  received,  from  of  old, 
the  prophecies  of  the  latter-day  glory,  (Job  xix.  25  ;)  while,  as 
concerning  worldly  knowledge — the  art  of  mining,  (xxviii. ;)  the 
art  of  weaving,  (vii.  6 ;)  the  conveyance  of  merchandise  by  cara- 
vans, (vi.  19 ;)  the  refining  of  metals,  (xxviii.  1 ;)  the  coinage 
of  money,  (xlii.  11 ;)  the  use  of  musical  instruments,  (xxi.  12) — 
all  were  understood  and  practised. 

It  may  be,  you  never  thought  of  this  state  of  things  as  existing 
before  the  giving  of  the  Law  on  Sinai.  We  are  now  passing  into 
the  age  when  the  Pentateuch  began  to  be  written.  Perhaps  you 
will  like  to  think  of  the  material  it  was  written  upon,  and  the 
character  in  which  Moses  wrote  it.  This  is  a  piece  of  ancient 
Hebrew — the  language  in  which  the  law  was  written — 

The  Bible  was  written  by  degrees,  and  by  different  Dersons  • 

*  Job  alludes  to  the  deluge,  ix.  5,  6' ;  also  xii.  15. 
3« 


30  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


it  took  1600  years  to  write.     The  first  five  books  were  written  by 
Moses  in  the  wilderness,  as  well  as  the  book  of  Job  ;  viz  : 
Genesis,  Numbers, 

Exodus,  Deuteronomy, 

Leviticus, 
called,  by  the  Grecian  Jews,  "  The  Pentateuch."  The  rest  of 
the  Old  Testament  books,  thirty-three  ir^  number,  were  written 
by  difierent  inspired  leaders,  prophets  priests,  and  kings  of 
Israel,  but  all  by  Israelites — the  people  whom  God  had  chosen, 
and  was  now  about  to  separate  from  the  heathen  nations,  to  be 
the  keepers  of  his  holy  oracles  :  and  as  they  were  written,  God 
himself  made  laws  that  they  should  be  read,  by  the  Levites,  to 
the  people  continually. 

But  at  that  time  there  were  no  books  like  our  books.  The 
time  of  Moses  was  1550  years  before  Christ  our  Saviour  came 
into  the  world.  Our  mode  of  printing  or  of  making  paper  had 
not  then  been  discovered.  The  old  Egyptians  made  linen,  in 
which  they  wrapped  their  mummies,  and  so  prepared  it,  that 
they  could  trace  hieroglyphics  upon  it.  They  also  wrote  upon 
rolls  made  of  their  rush-papyrus,  that  is,  of  the  coats  which  sur- 
round its  stalk.  The  largest  papyrus  roll  now  known,  is  ten 
yards  long :  many  of  these  are  found  in  the  tombs  of  Egypt, 
though  not  often  of  so  great  a  length.  A  very  valuable  one  has 
been  taken  from  these  tombs  to  the  museum  at  Turin,  contain- 
ing the  names  of  King  Mycerinus,  the  builder  of  the  third  pyra- 
mid, and  Rekshare,  the  architect  of  Thebes;  but  the  Pentateuch 
of  Moses  is  not  supposed  to  have  been  written  on  this  rush 
paper. 

It  is  thought  that  he  must  have  used  goat-skins,  prepared  and 
fastened  together  :  the  very  oldest  manuscripts  of  his  five  books 
known  are  written  on  leather.  There  is  one  in  the  public 
library  at  Cambridge,  which  was  discovered  by  Dr.  Buchanan, 
in  the  record-chest  of  a  synagogue  of  the  Black  Jews  in  Malabar, 
in  1806  :  it  measures  sixteen  yards  in  length ;  and,  though  not 
perfect,  consists  of  thirty-seven  skins  dyed  red.     There  is  another 


THE   EXODE. 


31 


in  the  library  of  the  British  Mu- 
seum, which  we  have  seen.  That 
is  a  large  double  roll  of  this  descrip- 
tion. It  is  written  with  great  care, 
on  forty  thick  brown  skins,  in  153 
narrow  columns  :  the  writing  is,  of 
course,  in  Hebrew.  We  looked 
upon  it  with  gi-eat  reverence,  for  it 
was,  most  probably,  in  this  form 
that  the  world  received  the  first 
part  of  the  word  of  God — his  lurit- 
ten  voice  from  heaven. 
It  was  while  feeding  his  flock  among  the  mountains  of  the 
desert,  that  Moses  was  first  made  sensible  of  the  visible  and 
miraculous  presence  of  God,  by  the  voice  out  of  the  burning 
bush,  and  entered  upon  that  wonderful  life  of  actual  converse 
with  the  Divine  Being,  which  was  like  the  life  of  no  other  mortal 
man,  before  or  since  his  time. 

The  opening  of  this  intercourse  took  place  at  Horeb — a  name 
now  applied  to  the  mountain  at  whose  base  stands  the  convent  of 
St.  Catherine.  The  token  of  his  mission  given  to  Moses  was, 
that  "  when  he  had  brought  the  people  out  of  Egypt,  they  should 
serve  God  upon  that  mountain.''  Here,  therefore,  they  actually 
encamped ;  and  the  same  place,  with  all  its  mighty  memories, 
was  the  retreat  of  Elijah,  600  years  afterward,  from  the  threats 
of  Jezebel. 

We  need  not  detail  to  you  the  rapid  succession  of  plagues 
showered  upon  the  oppressors  of  the  Israelites,  or  speak  at  any 
length  upon  what  happened  between  the  going  up  out  of  Egypt 
and  the  giving  of  the  Law  upon  Mount  Sinai.  There  were  great 
miracles  comprised  in  this  six  weeks'  history,  and  you  will  find 
them  recorded  from  the  14th  to  the  17th  chapters  of  Exodus. 

From  this  time  the  history  of  this  wonderful  people  was  m.arked 
by  miracle  :  and,  going  forth  int )  the  desert  through  those  won- 
drous walls  of  water,  formed  by  the  Red  Sea,  they  had  no  sooner 
experienced  hunger,  than  bread  was  rained  from  heaven  for  theniv. 


32  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


and  the  bitter  spring  of  the  wilderness  was  sweetened  for  theii 
sake.  This  spring  is  yet  existing,  and  is  called  Ain  Eowara, 
the  bitter  well. 

Have  you  ever  thought  of  the  numbers  of  the  children  of  Israel 
who  thus  went  up  out  of  Egypt  ?  It  was  such  an  emigration  as 
the  world  never  saw,  save  on  this  occasion.  There  were  between 
two  and  three  millions  of  people,  twice  as  many  as  inhabit  the 
Principality  of  Wales,  or  more  than  all  the  people  contained  in 
London  and  its  neighbourhood,  with  all  their  property,  goods, 
utensils,  and  cattle.  No  man,  with  merely  human  resources  at 
his  command,  could  ever  have  arranged  the  order  of  their  march; 
but  ^'  the  Lord  went  before  them  by  day  in  a  pillar  of  cloud,  to 
lead  them  the  way,  and  by  night  in  a  pillar  of  fire,  to  give  them 
light ;  to  go  by  day  and  by  night,''  (Exod.  xiii.  21 ;)  a  pillar 
ever  before  their  eyes,  high  over  the  camp,  where  no  mortal  art 
could  have  placed  it. 

At  Eephidim,  they  were  again  distressed  for  want  of  water, 
and  again  it  was  provided  for  them  by  miracle.  The  thirst  of 
which  they  complained,  and  which  they  said  would  "  kill  them," 
is  best  understood  by  persons  who  have  travelled  on  foot  over  a 
sandy  desert  under  a  burning  sun.  The  pillar  of  cloud  led  the 
way  for  Moses  and  the  elders,  while  the  former  went  to  smite  the 
rock  in  Horeb,  which  is  found  to  be  a  day's  journey  from  Ee- 
phidim, and  so  situated  at  the  head  of  a  valley,  that  a  stream  of 
water  from  it  would  come  flowing  and  rushing  down  to  the  faint 
and  weary  host  at  Rephidim  :  but,  meanwhile,  the  hindmost  of 
them,  "  the  feeble  among  them,"  had  been  attacked  by  Amalek, 
^'  who  feared  not  God." 

Up  to  this  period,  we  had  not  heard  any  thing  of  the  ancient 
Arabians,  nor  of  what  they  felt  toward  the  vast  host  of  Israelites 
making  a  sudden  incursion  into  their  country. 

The  tribe  of  Amalek  is  mentioned  in  history  as  inhabiting  the 
deserts  to  the  south  of  Palestine,  and  being  one  of  the  most 
famous  Arab  tribes.  They  had  probably  heard  of  the  wealth  of 
the  Israelites — the  spoils  they  had  brought  out  of  Egypt ;  and 
as  Bedouins  (who  in  all  ages  have  been  famous  for  committing 


WADY    MOKATTEB.  38 


robberies  on  merchants  and  travellers)  would  do  now,  so  these 
Amalekites  then  resolved  to  attack  Israel. 

There  were  two  descriptions  of  Arabs — those  who  dwelt  in 
cities  and  towns,  and  those  who  dwelt  in  tents.  Job  belonged 
to  the  former  race,  and  these  Amalekites  to  the  latter.  He 
describes  his  wild  brethren  in  the  24th  chapter  of  his  book  as 
"  wild  asses  of  the  desert,  rising  betimes  for  a  prey,"  etc.  Their 
desert  is  still  their  kingdom  :  no  travellers  may  pass  through  it 
without  their  leave,  and  without  purchasing  their  guidance  and 
protection.  Arabs  lead  you  up  to  the  Pyramids,  and  convey  you 
to  Sinai  and  Petra.  You  must  rest  when  they  suffer  you  to  do 
so,  and  pass  on  when  they  please ;  and  many  of  them  are  terrible- 
looking  fellows,  with  swarthy  complexions,  piercing  coal-black 
eyes,  half-naked  figures,  enormous  swords  slung  at  their  backs, 
and  rusty  matchlocks  in  their  hands.  You  might  travel  with 
them  for  weeks,  and  never  see  one  of  them  wash  his  face,  or 
know  that  he  washed  or  changed  his  clothes.  What  they  live 
on,  it  would  be  difficult  to  say,  for  they  are  seldom  seen  to  eat ; 
but  they  are  active  and  vigorous,  and  can  walk  thirty  miles  a 
day  for  week  after  week  in  succession. 

Against  these  wild  people,  the  Israelites  were  directed  by 
Moses  to  go  out  and  fight,  while  he  held  up  his  hands  at  the  top 
of  the  hill,  and  prayed. 

Laborde,  a  well-known  traveller  in  Arabia  Petrea,  the  desert 
district  where  all  these  events  occurred,  says,  "We  passed 
through  the  Wady  Mokatteb,  which  means  written  valley^  and 
beheld  the  rocks  covered  with  inscriptions  for  the  length  of  an 
entire  league.  We  afterward  passed  mountains,  called  Jebel-el 
IMokatteb,  which  means  written  mountains ;  and,  as  we  rode 
along,  perceived,  during  a  whole  hour,  hosts  of  inscriptions  in  an 
unknown  character,  carved  in  these  hard  rocks,  to  a  height  which 
was  ten  or  twelve  feet  from  the  ground :  and  although  we  had 
men  among  us  who  understood  the  Arabic,  Hebrew,  Greek, 
Syriac,  Coptic,  Latin,  Armenian,  Turkish,  English,  Illyrian, 
German,  French,  and  Bohemian  languages,  there  was  not  one  of 
us  who  had  the  slightest  knowledge  of  the  characters  engraved 


S4 


THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


on  tLese  rocks,  with  great  labour,  in  a  counW  where  there  is 
not/ jig  to  be  had  either  to  eat  or  drink." 


The  meaning  of  these  inscriptions  was  thus,  like  their  author- 
ship, unknown.  In  a  book  lately  published,  however,  called 
''The  Voice  of  Israel,  from  the  Rocks  of  Sinai,''  the  Rev.  Charles 
Forster,  an  English  clergyman,  and  a  man  of  much  learning  and 
patient  research,  has  suggested  that  these  are  the  "rock-tablet 
records"  of  the  miracles  wrought  in  the  wilderness. 

AVe  have  now  concluded  our  brief  review  of  the  ages  that 
elapsed  before  the  giving  of  the  Law;  and  with  something  of  the 
reverence  felt  by  the  chosen  p^^ple,  let  us  realize  the  scenery  of 
Mount  Sinai 


CHAPTER  II. 

Mount  Sinai — The  Covenant,  the  Giving  of  the  Law — The  Jebel  Mousa — Je- 
hovah— Seven  Sins  and  their  Punishments — Eleven  months  at  Sinai — Tha 
unknown  Thirty-eight  Years — The  last  Year  of  the  Wandering — Mount  Hor — 
The  Death  of  Aaron — The  Law  as  made  known  to  the  People — Fiery  Ser- 
pents— The  Death  of  Moses. 

SINAI. 

It  seems  to  be  the  testimony  of  all  modern  travellers,  that  the 
scenery  of  the  mountain  range  of  Sinai  is  of  great  extent,  and  of 
wild  and  awful  grandeur, 

^'1  stand/'  says  Mr.  Stephens,  ^^upon  the  veiy  peak  of  Sinai, 
where  Moses  stood  when  he  talked  with  the  Almighty.  Can  it 
1)'?,  cr  is  it  a  mere  dream  ?  Can  this  naked  rock  have  been  the 
"vi^ness  of  that  great  interview  between  man  and  his  Creator,  on 
t/ie  moming  that  was  ushered  in  with  terrible  thunders  and 
ik ntniugs,  with  the  thick  clouds  resting  on  the  mountain's  brow? 
Y :i  !  this  is  the  holy  mountain ;  and  not  a  place  on  all  the  earth 
ccjid  have  been  chosen,  so  fitted  for  the  manifestation  of  Divino 
]0wcr.  I  have  stood  on  the  summit  of  the  giant  Etna,  and 
looked  over  the  clouds  floating  beneath  it, — upon  the  bold  scenery 
of  Sicily,  and  the  distant  mountains  of  Calabria.  I  have  climbed 
Vesuvius,  and  looked  down  upon  the  waves  of  lava,  and  the  ruined 
and  half-recovered  cities  at  its  foot :  but  these  are  nothing  com- 
pared to  the  terrific  solitude  and  bleak  majesty  of  Sinai."  An- 
other traveller  has  called  it  ^'a  perfect  sea  of  desolation.  Not  a 
tree,  or  shrub,  or  blade  of  grass  is  to  be  seen  upon  the  bare  and 
rugged  sides  of  innumerable  mountains,  heaving  their  naked 
summits  to  the  skies;  while  the  crumbling  masses  of  granite 
around,  and  the  distant  view  of  the  Syrian  desert,  with  its  bound- 
less waste  of  sands,  form  the  wildest  and  most  dreary,  the  most 
terrific  and  desolate  picture  the  imagination  can  conceive." 


86  THE  BOOK  AND  ITS  STORY. 


It  was  in  this  solemn  region  tliat  God  claimed  Israel  for  tis 
own,  and  began  to  place  the  nation  under  a  course  of  instruction 
and  discipline,  to  prepare  it  for  its  high  destiny.  Here  he 
called  his  chosen  people  into  covenant  relation  with  himself.  He 
told  them,  through  Moses,  that  He  had  borne  them  on  eagles' 
wings  out  of  Egypt  J  and  that  if  they  would  obey  and  keep  his 
covenant,  then  they  should  be  a  peculiar  treasure  to  Him  above 
all  people — a  kingdom  of  priests  and  a  holy  nation.  And  all  the 
people  answered  together,  and  said,  "  All  that  the  Lord  hath 
spoken  we  will  do.'^  No  other  such  mighty  shout  of  promise 
ever  arose  from  earth  to  heaven;  ''and  Moses  told  the  words  of 
the  people  unto  the  Lord.'^     Exod.  xix.  8. 

When  God  descended  to  give  the  Law  to  his  people,  the  Hi- 
vine  glory  was  revealed  from  Teman  in  the  east  of  Edom,  to 
Paran  or  Serbal  in  the  west.  It  literally  covered  the  heavens  to 
this  extent.  Serbal  has  five  principal  peaks,  which,  like  the 
lofty  pinnacles  of  some  stupendous  temple,  rise  up  into  the  calm, 
deep  blue  of  heaven,  lone,  silent,  and  sublime. 

Let  us  read  the  description  of  Moses, — for  who  could  describe 
like  Moses  the  scenery  of  Sinai?  ''The  Lord  came  from  Sinai, 
and  rose  up  from  Seir  unto  them ;  He  shined  forth  from  mount 
Paran,  and  he  came  with  ten  thousands  of  saints :  from  his 
right  hand  went  a  fiery  law  for  them.  Yea,  he  loved  the  peo- 
ple ;  all  his  saints  are  in  thy  hand  :  and  they  sat  down  at  thy 
feet;  every  one  shall  receive  of  thy  words.''      Deut.  xxxiii.  2,  8. 

King  David  refers  to  this  hour,  when,  500  years  afterward,  he 
says,  in  his  68tli  Psalm,  verse  17,  "The  chariots  of  God  are 
twenty  thousand,  even  thousands  of  angels :  the  Lord  is  among 
them  as  in  Sinai,  on  the  holy  mount." 

"We  will  try  and  imagine  this  scene, — one  of  the  most  awfully 
sublime  in  the  annals  of  the  world. 

Moses  "  had  brought  the  people  forth  out  of  the  camp  to  meet 
with  God  :"  their  tents  were  spread  on  the  skirts  of  Horeb,  where 
its  narrow  valleys  widen  gradually  into  high,  dreary,  undulating 
plains,  hemmed  in  by  low  ridges  of  hills.  Possibly  these  camp- 
ing-^'Tounds  may  have  included  all  the  vast  plains  round  about 


MOUNT    SINAI. 


the  mountains  El  Haliali,  Seba-iyeli,  and  EI  Loja-  -for  two  of 
three  millions  of  persons  required  a  great  extent  of  space.  Be- 
fore them  all  rose  to  the  height  of  2000  feet  (being  7000  above 
the  Red  Sea)  the  Jebel  Mousa,  with  its  shattered  p3Tamidal 
peak^  like  a  mighty  pulpit^  fenced  off  by  a  range  of  sharp,  up- 
heaving crags,  200  feet  in  height,  and  forming  an  alucost  im- 
passable barrier  to  the  jMount  of  God  itself,  though  Moses  Lad 
likewise  "  set  bounds  about  it,  to  sanctify  it.'^ 

While  the  people  stood  thus  "  at  the  nether  part  of  the  mount/' 
let  us  imac-ine  the  eflPulo:ence  reflected  from  the  whole  of  the 
Arabian  desert,  and  listen  to  the  sounds  of  the  trumpet,  '^ex- 
ceeding loud,"  echoing  round  all  the  mountains,  preparing  the 
way  for  the  mighty  angel-voices  of  the  holy  myriads  uttering,  the 
Law;  and  then  let  us  remember  icJio  icas  this  Jehovah  upon 
Sinai, — the  Jehovah  of  the  Jewish  Church  in  the  wilderness. 
The  martyr  Stephen  tells  us,  just  before  his  death,  that  the  angel 
which  spake  to  Moses  in  Mount  Sinai  was  none  other  than  the 
angel  of  the  burning  bush — the  angel  of  the  Lord,  who  had  said 
of  himself,  "I  am  the  God  of  thy  fathers,  the  God  of  Abraham, 
the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob,"  before  whom  Moses 
"trembled  and  durst  not  behold,"  (Acts  vii.  32;)  and  also  none 
other  than  the  Saviour,  the  afterward  crucified  Redeemer  of  the 
world,  whose  voice  (says  Paul,  Heb.  xii.  26)  ''then  shook  the 
earth :  but  now  he  hath  promised.  Yet  once  more  I  shake  not 
the  earth  only,  but  also  heaven." 

Dear  young  friends,  when  you  have  thought  of  Jesus  taking 
upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant,  have  you  also  thought  of  that 
Jesus  as  one  and  the  same  with  the  awful  Jehovah  of  Sinai  ?  At 
both  times  it  is  said  of  him,  "  yet  he  loved  the  people,"  (Deut. 
xxxiii.  3,)  and  "for  his  great  love  where  with  he  loved  us."  Eph.  ii.  4. 

It  is  good  to  go  back  in  thought  to  Sinai,  and  to  realize  that 
the  great  God  has  actually  spoken  with  men  upon  the  earth. 

Many  of  the  travellers  who  have  visited  these  regions  liave  en- 
joyed the  privilege  of  opening  their  Bibles  and  reading,  on  the 
summits  of  Sinai  and  Horeb,  the  accounts  which  Moses  gives,  in 
the  very  scenes  which  they  concern. 

4 


£8  THE    BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


SEVEN    SINS   AND   THEIR    PUNISHMENTS;     OR, 
THE    WILDERNESS    LIFE. 

AVhen  God  had  thus  spoken,  in  majesty  and  fire,  to  the  car 
and  eye  of  the  favoured  people,  he  did  not  intend  the  impression 
of  that  day  to  pass  away :  he  had  given  them  a  Revelation, — a 
Law  that  was  to  separate  them  from  all  other  people ;  and  his 
v.'ords  to  them  were  to  endure  for  ever. 

We  have  not  undertaken  the  task  of  reviewing  the  whole  his- 
tory of  Israel,  except  as  concerns  one  particular,  which  we  wish 
you  especially  to  observe. 

From  the  time  that  they  became,  through  Moses,  the  keepers 
of  the  oracles  of  God,  they  loei-e judged  Jjy  them,  and  they  were 
expected  to  live  by  them ;  they -became  The  Church  of  the 
Book. 

They  had  subscribed  to  the  covenant;  they  had  said,  ^'All 
that  the  Lord  hath  spoken  we  will  do."  They  were  "  under  the 
Law";  and  whenever  they  broke  their  promise,  they  incurred 
punishment  and  suflfcring,  and  this  they  continually  did. 

They  remained  at  their  station  in  Iloreb  a  few  days  longer  than 
eleven  months.  During  this  time,  Jehovah  made  them  fully  un- 
derstand that  he  was  their  King,  and  he  established  the  regular 
service  of  his  royal  court  by  the  priests  and  Levites.  He  set 
apart  more  than  a  fiftieth  portion  of  the  whole  nation  to  this  office. 
They  were  to  receive  his  Law  from  Moses,  to  copy  it,  and  to  read 
it  to  the  people, — not  only  the  Ten  Commandments,  as  written 
by  the  finger  of  God  upon  the  two  tables  of  stone,  but  the  Book 
of  the  Covenant  also,  which  Moses  had  written,  (Exod.  xxiv.  4,) 
and  read  in  the  audience  of  the  people  for  the  first  time,  "  by  the 
altar  under  the  hill." 

During  these  eleven  months,  their  form  of  government  in  all 
things  was  appointed,  their  institutions  established,  and  the  Ta- 
bernacle fashioned  and  set  up  "  according  to  the  pattern  shown  to 
Moses  in  the  mount,"  for  the  house  or  palace  of  their  Divine  King, 
who  always  visibly  dwelt  among  them  in  the  glory  that  was  be- 
tween the  cherubim. 


SEVEN   SINS   AND   TIIEIR   PUNISHMENTS.  39 


The  same  period  witnessed  tteir  breacli  of  the  first  command- 
ment, '^  Thou  shalt  have  none  other  gods  but  me,"  in  the  worship 
of  the  golden  calf,  and  its  punishment  in  the  death  of  3000  among 
the  people. 

The  second  sin  was  committed  by  the  two  disobedient  priests 
who  offered  the  strange  fire,  and  they  also  were  consumed. 

The  third  transgression  was  against  the  third  commandment : 
the  son  of  an  Egyptian  father  "blasphemed  the  Name,  and 
cursed.''     He  was  brought  without  the  camp,  and  stoned  to  death 

The  fourth  concerned  murmuring  about  the  manna,  of  which 
they  began  to  get  tired.  In  this  case,  the  punishment  was  given 
by  granting  their  desire  :  they  were  to  have  flesh  for  a  whole 
month,  which,  beginning  to  eat  greedily  and  ravenously,  a  great 
number  of  them  died,  and  were  buried  on  the  spot. 

The  fifth  was  upon  Miriam,  who  was  smitten  with  leprosy,  for 
bearing  false  witness  against  her  brother  Moses.  It  is  said,  con- 
cerning this,  that  "  the  Lord  heard." 

The  sixth  sin  was  that  of  the  unfaithful  spies :  they  went  up 
in  the  second  year  of  the  wandering  to  see  the  land  of  Palestine, 
and,  in  consequence  of  their  search,  discouraged  the  people.  They 
brought  back  glorious  grapes  from  it,  but  they  said  the  men  of 
the  land  were  giants,  and  that  they  should  not  be  able  to  go  up 
against  them. 

The  Syrian  vine  is  still  famous  for  the  size  of  its  clusters. 
There  is  one  of  these  vines  in  the  grounds  of  the  Duke  of  Port- 
land, at  Welbeck,  near  Worksop,  from  which  a  cluster  of  grapes 
was  gathered,  in  1819,  weighing  nineteen  pounds ;  and  intelligent 
travellers  aver,  that  those  who  have  only  seen  the  vines  in  France 
and  Italy  can  have  no  just  idea  of  the  size  to  which  the  clusters 
attain  in  Syria. 

The  evil  part  of  their  report  was  not  probably  in  itself  incorrect, 
that  they  had  seen  pe  ^ple  of  great  stature ;  for  Moses  verifies  theii 
statement  in  speaking  of  the  "  Anakim,  great  and  tall,"  and  of 
other  old  gigantic  tribes,  with  a  reference  to  the  sons  of  Anak  j 
and  in  the  prophecy  of  Amos  it  is  said,  (Amos  ii.  9,)  "yet  de- 
stroyed I  the  Amorite  before  them,  whose  height  was  like  the 


40  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS   STORY. 


lieiglit  of  tlie  cedars,  and  wBo  was  strong  as  the  oaks.''  Goliath, 
whom  David  slew,  was  a  son  of  Anak;  his  stature  may  be  taken 
at  about  nine  feet ;  but  they  forgot  that  He  who  had  dried  up  the 
Red  Sea  before  them,  and  had  overcome  the  Egj-ptians  with  hie 
mighty  plagues, — if  his  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  had  pointed  them 
toward  the  high-walled  cities  of  the  tall  Anakim, — would  have 
given  them  victory  in  Palestine  also;  but,  as  Moses  afterward 
saj^  to  them,  (Deut.  i.  32,)  "  In  this  thing  ye  did  not  believe  thti 
Lord  your  God." 

The  most  formidable  conspiracy  against  the  authority  of  Moses 
and  Aaron  took  place  at  Kadesh,  soon  after  the  doom  of  forty 
years'  wandering  had  been  pronounced.  They,  or  rather  their 
sons,  returned  to  this  Kadesh  only  after  a  period  of  thirty-eight 
years,  during  which  we  know  nothing  minutely  of  their -proceed- 
ings. All  that  has  been  related,  the  present  conspiracy  included, 
which  makes  the  seventh  occasion  of  their  punishment,  occurred 
during  the  first  two  years  after  their  leaving  Egypt.  Moses  says, 
(Deut.  ii.  14,)  "  And  the  space  in  which  we  came  from  Kadesh- 
Barnea,  until  we  were  come  over  the  brook  of  Zered,  was  thirty 
and  eight  years ;  until  all  the  generation  of  the  men  of  war  were 
wasted  out  from  among  the  host,  as  the  Lord  sware  unto  them." 
The  brook  Zered  enters  the  Dead  Sea  near  the  southern  end ;  and 
when  that  was  crossed,  they  had  ended  their  long  pilgrimage, 
and  entered  into  a  cultivated  and  settled  country.  The  conspi- 
racy at  Kadesh  (Num.  xvi.)  was  very  bold.  It  arose  among  the 
children  of  Reuben,  the  elder  tribe,  and  the  children  of  Levi, 
the  priestly  tribe.  Their  encampments  were  side  by  side,  at  the 
south  of  the  Tabernacle,  and  they  seem  to  have  indulged  an  en- 
vious spirit  against  Moses  and  Aaron,  until  at  length  their  chiefs 
gathered  themselves  together,  and  said  to  these  two  men  ordained 
of  God,  "  Ye  take  too  much  upon  you,  seeing  all  the  congrega- 
tion are  holy,  and  the  Lord  is  among  them." 

The  Lord  was  among  them,  however,  to  punish  this  desire  of 
power  which  did  not  belong  to  them,  and  the  earth  opened  upon 
Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram ;  and  as  they  and  all  they  had  went 
down  into  the  pit,  all  Israel  fled  at  the  cry  of  them,  while  at  th« 


DEATH    OF   AARON.  4l 


Banu  time  250  persons  more  were  consumed  by  fire  :  and  because 
at  this  the  people  murmured,  a  plague  raged  on  the  morrow  among 
them,  by  which  14,700  died,  besides  those  tbat  died  the  day  be- 
fore with  Korah. 

Thus  you  see  many  lives  were  lost  in  the  repeated  rebellions 
of  the  people.  They  had  multiplied  rapidly  in  Egypt,  but  they 
were  about  2000  less  in  numbtr  when  about  to  enter  the  Promised 
Land.  The  new  generation,  though  for  so  many  yearG  trainee^ 
and  tried,  murmured  like  their  fathers  for  the  want  of  water,  on 
their  return  to  Kadesh,  where  Miriam  died  and  was  buried;  and 
Moses  does  not  seem  to  have  been  prepared  to  expect  such  con- 
duct from  them,  but  was  more  irritated  than  on  any  former  occa- 
sion. Even  he,  as  David  tells  us,  spake  unadvisedly  with,  his 
lips, — and,  striking  the  rock  instead  of  speaking  to  it,  (must  it 
not  have  been  struck  with  the  rod  whicli  blossomed,  taken  from 
before  the  Lord  ?)  said  angrily,  '^  Hear  now,  ye  rebels !  Must  we 
fetch  you  water  out  of  this  rock?''  For  this  impatience,  he  and 
Aaron,  who  appears  to  have  shared  in  his  sin,  which  God  him- 
self says  was  unbelief, — "because  ye  believed  me  not,  to  sanctify 
me  before  the  people," — even  these  two  great  leaders  were  not 
permitted  to  guide  Israel  into  the  Promised  Land. 

xiaron  went  up  first  into  Mount  Hor  to  die,  from  whose  craggy 
summits  may  be  seen  on  one  side  the  wilderness  in  which  the 
people  had  wandered,  and  from  the  other  the  mountains  of  Pales- 
tine, on  which,  doubtless,  Aaron  cast  his  last  look. 

The  American  traveller,  Mr.  Stephens,  visited  Mount  Hor, 
and  thus  describes  it :  "  The  mountain  is  bare  and  rugged  to  its 
very  summit,  without  even  a  tree  or  a  bush  growing  on  its  sterile 
sides."  He  says,  "  If  I  had  never  stood  on  the  summit  of  Sinai, 
i.  should  say,  that  nothing  could  exceed  the  desolation  of  the  view 
from  Mount  Hor, — the  mighty  natural  pyramid,  on  the  top  of 
which  the  high-priest  of  Israel  was  buried." 

Amid  his  other  duties  ordained  by  God,  Aaron  had,  doubtless, 
not  neglected  that  of  copying  the  Law,  and  reading  it  to  the  peo- 
ple. This  was  especially  ordered  to  be  done  for  eight  days  toge- 
ther, once  in  every  seven  years;  but  we  know  that  during  the 

4* 


12  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


training  of  Israel  in  tlie  wilderness,  this  was  not  all  tliey  heard 
or  knew  of  the  Law ;  for  Moses  says  to  them,  (Dent.  xxx.  11-14,) 
^'  The  commandment  which  is  written  in  this  book  of  the  Law  ia 
not  hidden  from  thee,  neither  is  it  far  off.  It  is  not  in  heaven, 
that  thou  shouldest  say.  Who  shall  go  up  for  us  to  heaven,  and 
irijg  it  unto  us,  that  we  may  hear  it  and  do  it  ?  Neither  is  it 
beyond  the  sea,  that  thou  shouldest  say,  Who  shall  go  over  the 
sea  for  us,  and  bring  it  unto  us,  that  we  may  hear  it  and  do  it  ? 
But  the  word  is  very  nigh  unto  thee,  in  thy  mouth,  and  in  thy 
heart,  that  thou  mayest  do  it." 

'^In  thy  mouth"  seems  to  signify,  that  they  learned  portions 
of  it.  Moses  ordered  the  Levites  to  write  his  last  noble  song, 
and  to  teach  it  to  the  children  of  Israel, — "  Put  it  in  their  mouths, 
that  this  song  may  be  a  witness  for  me  against  the  children  of 
Israel,  that  when  many  evils  and  troubles  are  befallen  them,  this 
song  shall  testify  against  them  as  a  witness ;  for  it  shall  not  be 
forgotten  out  of  the  mouths  of  their  seed.''  Deut.  xxxi.  19,  21. 
If  an  Israelite  was  in  doubt  as  to  any  ordinance  or  duty,  he  was 
to  inquire  of  the  priest,  the  Levite,  who  was  also  the  judge,  and 
would  show  him  the  sentence  of  judgment,  (Deut.  xvii.  9,)  as 
written  by  Moses.  Any  one  of  the  people  who  was  able  might 
write  a  copy  of  the  Law  for  himself;  but  the  Levites  were  in 
general  the  learned  class  among  this  pastoral  people,  and  were 
not  only  to  make,  but  to  give  away,  correct  copies  of  it ;  and 
probably  they  went  about  from  tent  to  tent,  (as  the  Scripture- 
reader  does  now  from  house  to  house,)  to  read  the  Law  to  each 
family.  It  is  always  assumed  that  the  people  "  knew  it;''  and  in 
the  book  of  ])euteronomy,  Moses  threw  its  precepts  into  a  new 
form,  for  the  generation  which  had  been  born  since  the  entrance 
to  the  wilderness. 

This  book  of  Deuteronomy  appears  to  have  been  written  by 
Moses,  in  the  plains  of  Moab,  a  short  time  before  his  death, 
1451  B.  c.  :  his  death  itself,  as  recorded  in  the  34th  chapter,  was 
probably  added  by  his  successor,  Joshua ;  and  the  last  four  verses 
of  that  chapter,  which  concern  Joshua,  were,  it  is  moyt  likely 


FIERY    SERPENTS.  43 


written  by  Ezra,  vh.Qn  he  collected  the  books  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment together. 

A  little  before  the  repeating  of  the  Law,  Moses  had  held  up  to 
the  suffering  people  the  serpent  of  brass  upon  a  pole,  that  every 
one  who  was  bitten,  when  he  looked  upon  it,  might  live  (Num. 
xxi.  9,) — the  type,  as  John  tells  us,  (John  iii.  14,  15,)  of  the 
lifting  up  of  the  Son  of  man,  "  that  whosoever  believeth  in  hiir. 
should  not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life.''  That  shore  of  the  Red 
Sea,  where  the  Israelites  were  bitten,  is  still  remarkable  for 
abounding  in  serpents,  as,  indeed,  the  wilderness  does  generally. 
In  Deut.  viii.  15,  Moses  calls  it  "a  great  and  terrible  wilderness, 
wherein  were  fiery  serpents,  and  scorpions,  and  drought '/'  yet  we 
never  hear  of  the  people  being  bitten  and  killed  by  them  till  now. 
They  had  been  marvellously  protected  from  this,  as  from  other 
dangers  of  the  way;  and  the  protection  was  only  now  withdrawn, 
on  account  of  their  oft-repeated  sin  of  murmuring. 

They  had,  however,  nearly  finished  their  course  in  the  wilder- 
ness, and  would  not  much  longer  murmur  against  their  great 
leader,  for  he  was  about  to  ascend  Mount  Nebo,  and  to  die  !  He 
who  had  so  long  brought  the  word  of  the  Lord  to  Israel,  was  tc 
be  seen  by  them  no  more ;  and  he  left  them,  saying,  "  Secret 
things  belong  to  God ;  but  those  things  which  are  revealed  be- 
long unto  us,  and  to  our  children  for  ever,  that  we  may  do  all  the 
words  of  the  Law."     Deut.  xxix.  29. 

Yes  !  he  left  behind  him  the  revealed  and  written  will  of  God 
for  that  people,  besides  the  wonderful  book  of  Job. 

Do  you  think  that  the  voy  roll  that  Moses  left  is  come  down 
to  us? — that  would  be  impossible.  That  very  roll  is  supposed  to 
have  perished  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  Nebuchadnezzar, 
E.  c.  586;  if  so,  it  was  treasured  and  in  existence  for  eight  cen- 
turies and  a  half.  Moses  commanded  the  Levites  to  put  it  in 
the  side  of  the  ark  of  the  covenant,  '^for  a  witness  against  the 
people."  The  final  covenant  made  with  the  people  in  the  plains 
of  Moab,  with  the  last  lofty  song  and  eloquent  prophecy,  seems 
to  have  been  written  on  a  separate  skin ;  and  Dr.  Adam  Clarke 
thinks  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  this  was  the  portioc 


44  THE  BOOK  AND  ITS  STORY. 


lost  and  found  in  the  reign  of  Josiah,  800  years  after  it  waa 
"written.  This  was  called  an  autograph  cojjy,  which  means  the 
very  one  that  Moses  wrote.  It  had  been  lost  in  the  reign  of  the 
wicked  kings  that  went  before  Josiah,  who  was  a  reforming  king ; 
and  when  he  set  himself  to  repair  the  house  of  the  Lord  his 
God,  and  brought  hewn-stone  and  timber  to  repair  the  floors 
which  the  kings  of  Judah  had  destroyed,  Hilkiah  the  priest 
found  a  book  of  the  Law  of  the  Lord  by  the  hand  of  Moses,  and 
gave  it  to  the  king.  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  14.  What  he  did  with  it,  we 
must  leave  till  a  further  period  of  the  history,  for  we  musfe  go  up 
with  Moses  into  Mount  Nebo,  where  he  died. 

Having  ordered  the  elders  of  Israel,  on  the  day  that  they 
should  pass  over  Jordan,  to  set  up  great  stones,  and  plaster  them 
with  plaster,  and  themselves  to  write  upon  them  all  the  words 
of  the  law,  very  plainly,  (Deut.  xxvii.  2,)  he  ascended  the  mount, 
the  highest  peak  in  the  Abarim  range,  which  joins  the  Dead  Sea 
to  Mount  Seir.  No  traveller  seems  to  have  ascended  or  given 
any  description  of  it,  except  that  it  is  a  barren  mountain,  on 
whose  summit  may  be  perceived  a  heap  of  stones  overshadowed 
by  a  tall  pistachio  tree. 

He  went  up,  as  he  had  often  done  before,  to  be  alone  with 
God,  but  to  return  to  men  no  more.  If  our  Saviour  himself  had 
not  told  us,  that  the  greatest  man  born  of  woman  was  his  own 
forerunner,  John  the  Baptist,  wo  should  have  given  this  meed  to 
Moses,  who,  denying  his  personal  desire,  died  without  any  regret 
of  his  own — all  his  thoughts  fixed,  as  they  had  ever  been,  on  the 
welfare  of  his  people.  There  was  no  thought  of  self — ^^  only  let 
Jehovah,  the  God  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh,  set  a  man  over  the 
congregation,  that  they  be  not  as  sheep  which  have  no  shepherd'' 
— and  then  he  was  ready.  Farewell,  then,  to  Moses  ascending 
Mount  Nebo — ^his  eye  not  dim,  nor  his  natural  force  abated, 
though  he  had  borne  the  burden  of  120  years. 

He  had  looked  upon  all  Egypt's  glory.  He  had  seen  a  nation 
fall  before,  him  in  the  wilderness ;  he  had  been  made  the  means 
of  giving  God's  revelation  to  earth;  and  now  he  himself  was 
ibout  to  pass  into  the  fuller  revelations  of  heaven. 


DEATH    OF   MOSES.  45 


He  was  not  sinless ;  tie  was  not  to  be  worshipped ;  and  lest  ho 
should  have  been,  (for  never  was  human  being  so  visibly  endued 
with  Divine  power,)  Grod  marked  his  only  recorded  sin  with 
punishment, — the  great  punishment  of  not  entering  the  Promised 
Land ;  but  that  circumstance  was  employed  as  a  type,  that  the 
Law,  which  he  personified,  cannot  conduct  us  into  the  heavenly 
Canaan.  Joshua,  who  took  possession,  is,  as  his  name  signifies, 
the  type  of  Jesus,  through  whom  only  is  obtained  the  "  abundant 
entrance,''  ^'by  grace,  and  not  by  works." 


CHAPTER  in. 

Entrance  to  the  Land — Joshua — The  Canaanites — Joshua's  Victories — Ebal 
and  Gerizim — The  Judges — The  Six  Servitudes — The  Times  of  the  Kings- 
David — Solomon — Division  of  the  Kingdom — Shishak — The  Prophets,  their 
Rolls— Table  of  Prophets— The  lost  Ten  Tribes— The  lost  Roll,  the  burnt 
Roll — Captivity  and  Return — Ezra's  Ministry — Review  of  the  History  and 
Prophecies  concerning  the  Fall  of  Israel,  Nineveh,  Judah,  Tyre,  Petra, 
Thebes,  and  Babylon. 

The  historical  books  of  Scripture,  from  Joshua  to  Esther,  con- 
tain the  history  of  the  Jewish  nation  from  their  first  settlement 
in  the  Promised  Land  to  their  return  thither,  after  seventy  years' 
captivity  in  Babylon,  comprising  a  period  of  about  a  thousand 
years. 

Why  is  it  that  this  chapter  in  the  "  Jubilee  Book"  must  be 
mainly  taken  up  with  the  history  of  this  nation  alone,  while 
other  great  nations  existed  at  that  time  in  the  world  ?  Will  not 
Sinai  and  the  wilderness  have  taught  you  to  answer,  "  Because 
throuoh  this  nation,  and  none  other,  came  down  to  us  durino" 
this  thousand  years  the  written  revelation  from  God  ?" 

We  shall  divide  this  thousand  years  into  three  periods.  I.  The 
period  of  Joshua  and  the  Judges,  of  355  years.  II.  The  period 
of  the  Kings,  comprising  507  years.  III.  The  Babylonian  cap- 
tivity  and  return,  till  Ezra  republishes  the  Law  and  the  Prophetn, 
comprising  150  3'ears. 


46  THE  BOOK  AND  ITS   STORY. 


THE    ENTRANCE    TO    THE    LAND. 

You  know  that  this  was  marked  by  the  same  miracle  as  theif 
coming  up  out  of  Eg3;^t.  They  might  have  proceeded  toward 
the  Promised  Land  without  crossing  the  lied  Sea  at  all;  and 
they  might  have  crossed  the  Jordan  where  it  was  a  brook,  near 
its  source;  but  they  were  ordered  to  cross  its  full  stream,  and 
then  its  waters  were  heaped  up,  like  those  of  the  Red  Sea,  in 
order  that  the  nations  they  were  going  to  conquer  might  perceive 
their  mission  from  God;  and  it  is  said,  ''neither  was  there  spirit 
in  them  any  more,  because  of  the  children  of  Israel/' 

The  next  event  was  the  celebration  of  the  passover — a  new 
observance  to  most  of  the  people,  the  generation  who  had  been 
educated  in  the  free,  pure  air  of  the  wilderness,  while  their 
fathers  were  dying  out  for  their  unbelief. 

The  passover  had  been  observed  only  once  in  Egypt,  and  once 
figain  at  Sinai,  and  this  was  its  third  celebration. 

On  the  next  morning,  the  manna  ceased  to  fall :  the  ''  old 
corn"  of  the  Promised  Land  supplied  its  place. 

To  Joshua,  the  new  leader  of  Israel  and  successor  to  Moses, 
God  promised  help,  on  these  conditions :  ^'  As  I  was  with  Moses, 
so  I  will  be  with  thee ;  only  observe  to  do  according  to  all  the 
Laio  which  Moses  my  servant  commanded  thee.  This  book  of 
the  Law  shall  not  depart  out  of  thy  mouth  :  thou  shalt  meditate 
therein  day  and  night;  then  shalt  thou  make  thy  way  pros- 
perous." 

Each  of  these  two  great  leaders  of  Israel  was  the  guardian  and 
student  of  the  written  revelation.  Each  read  it  to  the  people, 
and  caused  them  to  act  upon  it.  Joshua  lived  thirty-two  years 
after  taking  them  into  the  land;  and  as  he  died  at  110,  he  must 
have  known  for  thirty-eight  years  what  was  the  bondage  of 
EgT'pt,  and  must  have  seen  all,  except  Caleb,  die  around  him 
in  the  wilderness  :  and  he  was  now  appointed  as  the  conquering 
general  of  the  people  with  whom  God  had  made  a  covenant  to 
destroy  every   other  league   and  covenant   existing  among  the 


THE  ENTRANCE  TO  THE  LAND.  47 


Canaanitisli  nations.  Let  us  further  examine  who  the  Canaanites 
were. 

There  wis  a  race  among  these  heathen  people  called  the 
Anakim,  or  the  Rephaim.  The  spies  of  Israel  said  they  were  a 
great  and  haughty  people^  with  cities  fenced  up  to  the  skies, 
(Deut.  ix.  1,  2  ;)  and  that  they  made  them  feel  "  as  grasshop- 
pers." 

The  Anakim  settlements  lay  along  the  mountain  range  which 
extends  through  the  land  of  Palestine ;  and  it  seems  that,  from 
superior  size  and  wisdom  too,  they  were  the  masters  of  another 
race  of  people,  called  the  Amorites — a  degraded  nation,  and  very 
wicked,  and  whose  ''  iniquity  was  full"  at  the  time  that  Israel 
entered  the  land. 

The  Rephaim  had  military  outposts  and  fortresses  in  strong 
positions  among  the  mountains.  They  had  even  a  city,  Kirjath- 
sepher,  or  the  book-city,  the  city  of  letters,  or  of  archives. 
Joshua  conquered  it,  and  probably  did  not  think  its  records  worth 
keeping,  so  they  are  all  lost — not  come  down  to  us.  We  know 
nothing  of  these  "tall"  and  "  haugbty"  rulers  of  old  time,  but 
what  is  said  of  them  in  the  Bible,  and,  strange  to  say,  what  is 
carved  and  written  about  them  on  the  old  Egyptian  temple  of 
Karnak. 

Yes!  they  are  there — these  men  of  "  Onk"  or  Anak.  They 
are  supposed  to  have  been  the  shepherd-kings  who  once  conquered 
Egypt ;  and  in  the  reign  of  Rameses  III.,  Egypt  conquered  them 
in  their  own  land.  She  never  records  her  own  defeats,  but  she 
has  described  her  conquests  over  the  Rephaim  as  ranging  through 
three  centuries. 

Even  in  the  earl^  days  of  these  Rephaim,  Shalem  (the  same 
as  Jerusalem)  was  the  metropolis  of  Palestine;  whence  came 
Melchizedek  to  meet  Abraham  after  his  defence  of  Lot,  (see 
Cen.  xiv.)  As,  therefore,  Melchizedek  is  said  to  be  the  priest  of 
the  Most  High  God,  it  might  be  concluded  that  these  sons  of 
Anak  once  held  the  true  religion,  like  the  ancient  Arabians. 

In  the  time  of  Joshua,  they  still  maintained  their  supremacy : 
but  it  was  then  the  supremacy  of  force.     The  Philistines  were 


48  THE  BOOK  AND  ITS  STORY. 


one  of  their  branches,  occupying  the  southern  sea-side  of  the 
land. 

Another  of  their  ancient  cities,  named  on  Kamak,  was  Hebron, 
or  Arba,  where  Abraham  lived,  died,  and  was  buried.  This  city 
'^  was  built  seven  years  before  Zoan  in  Egypt."    Num.  xiii.  22.* 

The  victories  of  Joshua  comprise  three  distinct  series  of  events. 
First,  his  campaign  against  the  Amorite  league,  in  which  he 
swept  round  the  mountain  of  Judah,  returning  by  Hebron  to 
Gilgal.  Secondly,  the  campaign  against  the  northern  Canaanites 
— "  Joshua  made  war  a  long  time  with  all  those  kings."  Josh, 
xi.  18.  Finally,  the  general  statements  of  particular  expeditions 
against  those  tall  Anakim,  till  destroyed  in  their  cities  and  their 
forts — '^  there  were  none  of  the  Anakim  left  in  all  the  land  of 
the  children  of  Israel,"  only  the  Philistines  in  Gaza,  Gath,  and 
Ashdod ;  and  then  Joshua  took  the  whole  land  and  gave  it  for 
an  inheritance  unto  Israel  by  their  tribes.  Josh.  xi.  22. 
Balaam  the  son  of  Beor  had  been  slain  in  this  war,  (Josh.  xiii. 
22  :)  you  can  read  the  history  of  Balaam  looking  down  upon 
Israel  from  the  mountains  of  Moab,  and  blessing  them  in  spite 
of  liimself.     Num.  xxii.  xxiii.  xxiv. 

Although  Moses  had  never  seen  the  Promised  Land,  he  had 
chosen  by  inspiration  the  most  fitting  site  for  the  fresh  promulga- 
tion of  the  Law  to  the  peopl-e,  seven  years  after  they  passed  the 
Jordan,  on  the  blasted  Ebal,  and  the  fair  and  fertile  Gerizim. 
The  ark,  attended  by  the  priests,  remained  in  the  valley  by  which 
the  twin  mountains  are  separated.  Up  each  side  of  either  moun- 
tain stood  the  thousands  of  Israel,  the  chiefs,  the  judges,  the 
Levites,  the  women,  the  children,  and  the  stranger — six  tribes 
pronouncing  the  curses  from  the  barren  Ebal — six  uttering  tlie 
blessings  from  the  pleasant  Gerizim;  and  as  each  clause  of  curse 
and  blessing  was  pronounced,  there  rose,  with  one  vast  voice 
rushing  from  the  living  hills,  the  ^^Amen"  of  the  consenting 
multitude.    Josh.  viii.  33. 


*  This  is  one  of  the  many  notices  of  facts,  in  the  history  of  the  oldworld^ 
which  are  to  be  met  with  incidentally  in  the  books  of  Moees. 


THE   JUDGES.  49 


When  Joshua  '^  went  the  way  of  all  the  earth"— ras  he  himself 
says — Israel  was  no  more  governed  by  one  leader.  He  left  the 
state  on  its  proper  and  fixed  foundations,  with  the  Lord  at  its 
head  as  its  Divine  King  abiding  among  them  in  his  tabernacle, 
which  had  now  been  set  up  at  Shiloh,  twenty-five  miles  north  of 
Jerusalem,  and  it  continued  in  this  city  for  450  years. 

THE   JUDGES. 

From  the  time  of  Joshua  to  that  of  Eli  and  Samuel  comprises 
a  period  of  355  years,  and  this  was  called  the  times  of  the 
judges,  or  elders,  of  Israel.  This  body  had  been  in  existence 
from  the  time  the  people  were  in  bondage  in  Egypt,  (see  Exod. 
iii.  16.)  Six  were  chosen  from  each  tribe,  making  seventy-two 
senators ;  and  on  these  fell  the  government  of  the  chief  cities  and 
towns.  In  the  wilderness,  these  elders  had  sometimes  prophesied, 
(Num.  xi.  25,)  and  they  were  the  expounders  of  the  Law  of 
Moses. 

The  book  of  Judges  forms  the  eighth  book  of  Holy  Scripture, 
reckoning  Job  as  so  early  written.  Its  chapters  chiefly  record 
the  instances  in  which  Israel  forsook  the  Divine  Law,  and-  were 
in  consequence  punished. 

When,  by  marrying  heathen  wives,  they  were  led  into  idolatry, 
the  Lord  withdrew  his  protection  from  them,  and  they  were  op- 
pressed by  some  neighbouring  state,  more  or  less  severely,  until 
they  were  humbled,  and  implored  the  mercy  of  their  own  offended 
King;  and  then  he  heard  them,  raising  them  up  time  after 
time  deliverers,  such  as  Ehud,  Barak,  Gideon,  Jephthah,  and 
Samson,  when  the  foreign  yoke  was  broken  from  their  necks  for 
a  while,  until,  sinning  again,  they  were  again  and  again  punished; 
but  it  was  always  for  the  forsaking  of  the  Law  of  the  Lord. 

The  bi)ok  of  Judges,  however,  gives  no  minute  records  of  the 
periods  when  they  did  not  break  the  Law,  and  when  the  land 
enjoyed  peace  and  safety  :  these  periods  are  often  passed  over  in 
a  single  verse. 

Dr.  Graves,  who  has  examined  this  subject,  observes,  that  out 


50  THE   BOOK   AND   IIS   STORY. 


of  the  450  years  under  tlie  judges,  there  were  not  less  than  377 
years  during  which  the  authority  of  the  Law  of  Moses  was  ac- 
knowledged in  Israel; — a  beautiful  picture  of  which  times  of 
peace  is  to  be  found  in  the  book  of  Ruth. 

The  Jewish  writers  tell  us,  that  in  these  good  times  the  Levites 
went  much  about  the  country  as  teachers  of  the  Law.  Education 
among  the  Hebrews  chiefly  consisted  in  being  taught  to  read  the 
Law,  and  listening  to  those  who  could  expound  it. 

The  priests  were  to  offer  sacrifices  for  sin,  and  not  to  teach  ♦ 
the  Levites  were  to  assist  the  priests  in  some  portions  of  their 
duty,  but  were  to  teach,  and  not  to  sacrifice. 

It  appears  that  the  Israelites  endured  six  successive  periods  of 
servitude  during  the  times  of  the  judges  : 

1st,  under  the  King  of  Mesopotamia 8  years. 

2d,  under  the  Moabites 18  years. 

3d,  under  the  Canaanites 20  years. 

4th,  under  the  Midianites 7  years. 

5th,  under  the  Ammonites 18  years. 

6th,  under  the  Philistines 40  years. 

During  the  twenty  succeeding  years,  the  people,  though  not  under 
a  foreign  yoke,  were,  perhaps,  under  a  worse  bondage  than  any 
before — "every  man  doing  that  which  was  right  in  his  own 
eyes.'' 

THE   TIMES    OF   THE   KINGS. 

After  their  last  deliverance  by  the  prophet  Samuel,  who  ruled 
over  the  nation  for  twenty  peaceful  years,  and  "  caused  them 
once  more  to  serve  the  Lord  only,''  the  chief  men  of  the  nation, 
not  wishing  Samuel's  sons  to  succeed  him,  "  who  walked  not  in 
his  ways,"  demanded  a  king. 

Three  kings  in  succession  were  given  to  them,  ^ho  each 
reigned  40  years — 

Saul.  David.  Solomon. 

We  have  not  space  to  enter  into  the  details  of  their  several 
reigns,  but  must  remark,  in  passing,  the  portions  which  the  two 


TIMES   or   THE   KINGS.  51 


latter  added  to  the  books  of  Scripture.  It  is  believed  tiiat  tbe 
Prophet  Samuel  compiled  the  books  of  Judges  and  of  Ruth,  and 
commenced  the  first  book  of  Samuel,  the  latter  part  of  which  and 
the  second  book  were  written  by  succeeding  prophets,  probably 
Nathan  and  Grad. 

The  books  of  Kings  and  Chronicles  were  compiled  from  the 
national  records  by  various  prophets  and  scribes,  and  were,  it  is 
most  likely,  completed  by  Ezra,  when  he  collected  them  together 
500  years  afterward. 

King  David  wrote  most  of  the  Psalms,  and  King  Solomon 
most  of  the  Proverbs,  with  the  books  of  the  Song  of  Solomon  and 
Ecclesiastes. 

Before  Moses  bade  farewell  to  the  people  in  the  wilderness, 
he  had  foreseen  that  they  would  desire  a  king  at  some  future 
day,  and  had  thus  provided  that  he  should  be  an  enlightened 
king. 

When  he  sat  upon  his  throne,  he  was  to  write  him  a  copy 
of  the  Law  in  a  book,  out  of  that  which  is  before  the  priests, 
the  Levites.  He  was  to  do  this  for  himself,  and  he  was  to 
read  in  it  all  the  days  of  his  life.  It  would  scarcely  seem 
that  Saul  kept  this  law,  but  King  David  did ;  and,  oh !  how  he 
loved  it. 

Who  does  not  cherish  the  memory  of  David  the  poet-king — 
^'  the  man  after  God's  own  heart'^  ?  Inspired  alike  as  prophet 
and  historian,  he  summed  up  the  history  of  his  wonderful  people 
in  many  a  noble  psalm  that  has  commanded  the  world's  sympa- 
thies for  3000  years.  Some  of  his  songs  were  composed  for  the 
Jewish  festivals,  the  passover,  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  etc.  Some 
are  war-songs,  some  songs  of  thanksgiving.  We  can  find  an 
appropriate  psalm  for  almost  every  possible  state  of  mind  and 
feeling ;.  but,  after  all,  what  is  there  so  beautiful  as  the  longest 
psalm,  the  119th — the  Bible  Psalm — in  which  every  one  of  the 
176  verses  speaks  with  love  and  joy  of  the  word  of  God  !  That 
is  David's  contribution  to  this  jubilee  year;  and,  if  he  were  living 
on  the  earth  now,  would  he  not  chant  it  to  his  own  harp  most 
gloriously  ? 


52  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORf. 


Have  you  noticed  that  every  verse,  under  the  different  names 
of  testimonies,  precepts,  statutes,  commandments,  ordinances, 
judgments,  law,  refers  to  the  Bible  ? — and  David's  Bible  com- 
prised only  the  five  books  of  Moses,  Job,  Joshua,  Judges,  and 
Buth,  and  the  history  of  Israel  by  Samuel,  to  which,  it  may  be, 
the  king  added  soine  of  his  own  psalms. 

There  is  no  time  to  dwell  on  the  reigns  of  David  and  Solomon, 
or  to  picture  to  ourselves  the  high  and  palmy  state  of  Judea  for 
those  eighty  years.  The  kings  of  Israel  possessed  great  stores  of 
the  precious  metals.  When  Solomon  built  the  Temple,  which  was 
to  stand  in  the  stead  of  the  Tabernacle,  the  gold  consumed  in  over- 
laying its  inside  would  have  made  three  millions  pounds  sterliDg. 
This  temple  is  supposed  to  have  been  built  upon  the  very  spot 
where  Abraham  had  offered  Isaac ;  and  when  Solomon  and  all  his 
people  were  assembled  for  the  first  time  to  dedicate  it  to  Jehovah, 
while  the  Levites  in  pure  white  robes  lifted  up  their  voices  with 
the  trumpets  and  the  cymbals,  then  the  house  was  filled  with  a 
cloud,  so  that  the  priests  could  not  stand  to  minister,  by  reason  of 
the  cloud,  for  the  glory  of  the  Lord  had  filled  the  House  of  the 
Lord.  Thus  was  God  visibly  present  among  this  favoured 
people. 

THE   DIVISION   OF   THE    KINGDOM. 

This  took  place  under  Rehoboam,  the  son  of  Solomon,  who  at 
first  reigned  righteously,  but  afterward  fell  into  idolatry,  and  Je- 
rusalem with  him.  Jerusalem  was  taken  and  spoiled  by  Shishak 
king  of  Egypt ;  and  here  again  we  must  turn  to  the  great  old 
books  of  stone  in  the  temple  of  Karnak,  first  reading  2  Chron.  xii. 
and  1  Kings  xiv.  25, — narratives  which,  though  they  would  need 
no  testimony  from  the  heathen  to  their  truth,  are  yet  surprisingly 
confirmed  by  the  following  sculptures. 

You  have  the  privilege  to  live  in  an  age,  when,  if  you  heai 
persons  expressing  doubts  as  to  the  truth  of  the  Bible,  you  may 
ask  them  if  they  have  read  or  heard  of  God's  great  stone  hooks, 
which  are  unansw-*;rable,  and  which  he  has  laid  up  in  their  dead 


THE  DIVISION   OF   THE   KINGDOM. 


53 


languages  for  so  many  centuries,  and  is 
now  permitting  to  be  understood  even  by 
cbildren. 

In  tbe  year  1828,  tbe  French  student, 
Cbampollion,  on  his  passage  down  the 
Nile,  landed  at  Karnak,  and  pointed  out 
the  accompanying  figure,  one  of  sixty- 
three  prisoners  presented  to  Sheshonk  by 
his  god  Amunra. 

The  turreted  oval  enclosing  the  name 
means  that  it  is  a  walled  city.  Shishak  is 
depicted  as  a  gigantic  figure  holding  a 
captive  by  the  hair  of  the  head  with  one 
hand,  which  he  is  going  to  strike  ofiF  with 
the  other  :  there  are  five  rows  of  such 
captives  as  these,  with  features  evidently 
Jewish. 


UDaHM  E         LeK 

Kino  of  the   Country  of  Judah. 


Kah. 


Our  space  forbids  our  even  giving  you  a  list  of  the  names  of 
the  kings  of  the  two  kingdoms,  which,  from  Rehoboam's  time 
were  set  up  among  the  Israelites,  during  the  next  hundred  years 
after  the  conquest  by  Shishak.  We  must  merely  observe,  that 
this  national  division  proved  a  most  disastrous  event  for  them,  and 
pass  on  to  what  chiefly  concerns  us, — to  the  class  of  persons  who 
further  added  to  the  inspired  books,  for  we  must  examine  theii 
character,  and  the  nature  of  their  teaching. 


THE    PROPHETS. 


The  prophets  were  messengers  sent  of  God,  and  inspired  to  de- 
clare his  will  to  this  nation,  who  foretold  events  long  before  they 
came  to  pass.     Enoch^  Noah,  Jacob,  and  Moses,  had  delivered 


5* 


5-4  THE  BOOK   AND   ITS   STORY. 


many  prophecies.  After  the  times  of  the  judges^  young  men 
were  especially  trained  as  prophets^  in  schools ;  and  from  this  class 
generally,  but  not  always,  did  the  Holy  Spirit  select  those  few 
who  were  to  be  miraculously  inspired.  These  were  also  called 
seers,  or  men  of  God. 

This  inspiration  was  a  wonderful  thing.  The  men  to  whom  it 
was  vouchsafed  felt  it  come  upon  them  as  a  power  which  they 
could  not  withstand.  It  took  possession  of  them,  filled  them,  ex- 
cited them,  bore  them  along,  taught  them,  enabled  them  to  speak 
words  which  they  could  not  have  uttered  at  any  other  time.  ''  The 
Spirit  of  God,"  it  is  said,  "  was  upon  them,''  and  their  spirits  felt 
like  a  vessel  impelled  before  the  wind.  This  was  the  inspiration 
vouchsafed  to  the  higher  class  of  prophets,  as  Isaiah,  Jeremiah, 
and  Ezekiel,  and  also  to  those  who  were  called  the  minor  prophets, 
because  they  uttered  short  though  great  prophecies.  The  scribes 
wrote  all  these  latter  together  on  one  roll,  lest  any  of  them  should 
be  lost. 

But  prophets,  in  general,  during  the  times  of  the  kings,  were 
the  philosophers,  divines,  and  guides  of  the  nation.  They  stood 
as  the  bulwarks  of  religion  against  the  impiety  of  princes ;  and 
although  highly  esteemed  by  the  pious  kings,  they  were  very  poor 
men,  and  greatly  exposed  to  persecution. 

Thqj-  generally  lived  in  some  retired  country  place,  and  spent 
their  time  in  prayer,  study,  and  manual  labour.  Elisha  quitted 
his  plough  when  Elijah  called  him  to  be  a  prophet.  Amos  was 
a  herdsman,  and  a  gatherer  of  sycamore  fi-uit.  Amos  vii.  14. 
The  son^'of  the  prophets  built  their  own  dwellings,  for  which  they 
cut  down  the  timber.     2  Kings  vi.  1. 

They  were  dressed  very  singularly :  Elijah  was  clothed  with 
skins,  and  wore  a  leather  girdle ;  Isaiah  wore  sackcloth.  Their 
habits  were  simple  and  their  food  plain. 

The  predictions  of  the  earliest  prophets  are  inserted  in  the  his- 
torical books,  together  with  their  fulfilment, — such  as  those  of 
Elijah,  Elisha,  Jehu,  and  Micaiah. 

But  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  and  Ezekiel  were  directed  to  write  their 
prophecies  in  a  roll,  as  well  as  to  utter  them  in  some  public  place 


THE   PROPHETS. 


55 


where  all  miglit  hear.  The  roll  was  in  many  cases  affixed  to  the 
gate  of  the  temple,  where  all  might  read  it ;  and  they  often  ac- 
companied  their  message  by  some  significant  action  on  their  own 
part.  Jeremiah  made  a  yoke  and  put  it  on  his  neck,  to  foretell 
the  captivity  of  Babylon.  Isaiah  walked  barefoot,  and  stripped 
off  his  rough  prophet's  garment,  to  show  what  was  coming  on 
Egypt. 

When  the  prophecy  was  not  to  be 
fulfilled  for  ages,  they  were  com- 
manded to  seal  it  up,  "it  being  re- 
quisite that  the  originals,"  says  Mr- 
Horne,  "  should  be  compared  with  the 
Icvent  when  it  occurred."  It  seems 
to  have  been  a  custom  for  the  pro- 
phets to  deposit  their  writings  in  the 
temple,  and  lay  them  up  before  the 
Lord.  There  is  a  belief  among  the 
Jews  that  all  the  sacred  books  were 
placed  in  the  side  of  the  ark.  We  here  give  you  a  picture  of 
the  cases  in  which  written  rolls  were  generally  kept  in  this  age, 
and  long  after  it. 

The  Paragraph  Bible  published  by  the  Tract  Society  will  now 
supply  us  with  a  table  (see  page  56)  of  the  reigns  of  the  kings, 
in  which  the  sixteen  prophets  who  wrote  the  separate  books  of 
Holy  Scripture  lived  and  wrote.  The  thick  black  lines  present 
at  once  to  the  eye  the  length  of  the  prophet's  life. 

Before  reading  each  prophecy,  you  should  read  the  reign  of 
the  king  in  which  it  was  delivered,  given  in  the  references  at  the 
bottom  of  the  page. 

The  idolatrous  kings  were  always  punished  for  the  forsaking  of 
the  Law,  while  those  who  observed  the  Law  prospered.  The 
kingdom  rose  or  fell  according  to  that  rule ;  and  this  renders  the 
history  of  the  Jewish  people  especially  interesting  and  instructive 
The  following  table  shows  you  at  a  glance  that  the  kingdom 
of  Israel,  comprising  ten  of  the  tribes,  came  to  an  end  194  years 
beforp  the  kingdom  of  Judah.     The  exceeding  wickedness  of 


56 


THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


TABULAR  VIEW  OF  THE  PROPHETS, 

BHOWINQ  THE  PERIODS   DURING  WHICH  IT   IS   SUPPOSED  THEIR  PROPHECIES 

WERE    DELIVERED. 


KINGS  OF 
JUDAH. 

B.  C 

i 

n 

•4 

i  1 

H       P 

< 

a 

a 

a 
o 

o 

s 
< 

s 

< 

o 

< 

1 

B 

-< 

s 

p 

B 

K 

O 

B 

a 

-^ 

< 

IS 

•< 

s 

•i 
n 

i 

KCfGS  or 

JSRAEl. 

a  Amaziah,  839 

9JeroboaDiII.8'J6 

h  Ujiiah,  810 

V 

\ 

— 

- 

\ 

nUrreguum,  784 



— 

— 

— 

p  Mcnahem,772 

q  Pikahiah,  761 

c  Jotham,  758 

— 





— 

— 

— 

— 

- 

r  Pekah, 759 

d  Ahaz,  742 

Anarchy,  739 

e  Hezekiah,  727         | 

8  Hoshea,  730 

_ 

— 





— 

— 

— 

— 

- 

-- 

— 



— 

1 

T 

? 
t^ 

rf 
B- 

1 

Q 

3 
P  o- 

P  i" 

*\                to    ^ 

?     1 

1     E 
■I     i 
1     ^ 

t3 

•  Malacb!, 

lietwcen 
430  aud  4^0. 

—  — 

/Manasseh,698 

— 





— 

— 

J_ 

— 

— 

— 





— 

— 

g  Amon,  643 

h  Josiah,  C41 

1 



-- 

— 

!_ 



— 

— 

— 

— 

z 

- 

X  Jehoahaz,  610 

_;_; 

"Ar'jehoialdm,  610      1  . . . 



— 

— 

1 

— 

— 

— 



— 

— 



— 

I  Jeconiah,  j99 

m  Destruction      of 
Jerusalem,  588 

r^' 

f- 

n  Zerubbabel.  536 

e 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

T 

T 

— 

1 

1 

1 

• 

The  dale  after  pach  king's  uame  indicates  the  commencement  of  his  reign. — Joel  is  placed  twice,  as  l&L 


a2Ki.  U;  2  Ch.  25. 

I  2  Ki.  14.  21;  2  Ch.  26. 1. 

c  2  Ki.  15.  32 ;  2  Ch.  27. 

d  2  Ki.  IG.  1 ;  2  Ch.  28. 

e  2  Ki.  18. 19 ;  2  Ch.  J.'  •  Is.  36,  37, 38. 

1 3  W.  20.  1 ;  2  Ch.  33 


doubtful  at  which  period  he  lived. 
g  2  Ki.  21.  19  ;  2  Ch.  33.  21. 


h  2  Ki.  22.  1 ;  2  Ch.  34.  1. 

i  2  Ki.  23.  31. 

A:  2  Ki.  23.  36;  9  Ch.36.  5. 

J  2  Ki.  24.  8;  2  Ch.36.  9. 
«i2Ki.  25;  2  Ch.36. 17. 


n  Ezra  3,  4,  5. 

0  2  Ki.l4.  28;  2  Ch.  13.  6. 

j»  2  Ki.  15.  14. 

g  2  Ki.  15.  22. 

r  2  Ki.  15.  25. 

s  2  Ki.  17. 1. 


THE   LOST   TEN   TRIBES.  57 


Israel  caused  God  to  send  them  into  captivity  among  tlie  Assy- 
rians, b.  c.  730. 

They  are  spoken  of  as  the  lost  ten  tribes ;  and  thus  was  Ho 
sea's  prophecy  fulfilled — "  they  shall  be  called  Lo-ammi,  that  is^ 
7iot  my  people.'^  But  it  is  certain  that  Grod  knows  where  their 
descendants  are,  and  in  his  own  time  will  recover  the  lost,  and 
reunite  them  with  Judah,  under  one  Head,  even  Christ,  (see 
Ezek.  xxxvii.  21-28.) 

The  portion  of  Palestine  inhabited  by  the  ten  tribes  was  called 
Samaria;  the  King  of  Assyria  repeopled  this  district  from 
Babylon,  Cuth,  Ava,  etc.,  and  these  people,  joined  with  the 
remnant  of  the  Israelites,  were  called  Samaritans.  We  hear  of 
them  in  the  time  of  oui-  Lord,  and  that  "  the  Jews  had  no  deal- 
ings with  them."  They  had  asked  to  be  allowed  to  assist  in  the 
rebuilding  of  the  temple  after  the  captivity,  and,  on  being 
refused,  became  inveterate  enemies  to  the  work,  and  built  a 
temple  of  their  own  upon  Mount  Gerizim.  Jesus  himself  "abode 
among  this  people  for  two  days,"  after  conversing  with  the  woman 
of  Samaria;  "and  many  believed,  because  of  his  own  word." 
John  iv.  40,  41.  The  persecution  by  the  Emperor  Justinian 
almost  extinguished  the  community  of  Samaritan  Jews )  but  yet, 
in  the  sixteenth  century,  a  remnant  of  them  was  discovered  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  their  holy  mount,  Gerizim,  who  still  pos- 
sessed the  Law  in  the  Old  Hebrew  character,  (for  they  never 
adopted  the  Chaldee,)  and  this  manuscript  is  called  the  Samaritan 
Pentateuch.  Learned  men  consider  it  a  most  valuable  relic  of 
antiquity.  It  had  been  lost  sight  of  for  1000  years.  It  is  now 
printed  in  the  "  London  Polyglot,"  by  Bishop  Walton. 

These  Samaritans  exist  to  this  day;  they  are  very  few  in 
number ;  they  assert  their  descent  from  the  tribes  of  Ephraim 
and  Manasseh,  and  ?ay  that  their  dialect  is  the  true  and  original 
Hebrew  in  which  th)  Law  was  given. 

The  Jews  do  not  acknowledge  them,  and  contemptuously  call 
them  "  alien  colonists" ;  but,  if  so,  it  is  very  extraordinary  that 
they  possess  this  manuscript,  which  corresponds  almost  word  for 
»Ford  with  the  H  ebrew  text.     One  of  the  copies  may  be  seen  io 


58  THE   BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


the  British  Museum.  The  missionary  Fisk  says,  "  the  Samari- 
tans have  also  copies  of  the  books  of  Joshua  and  Judges,  in  separate 
volumes.'' 

Before  we  pass  on  to  the  time  of  Ezra,  it  is  essential  to  the 
Story  of  the  Book  that  we  refer  to  two  or  more  of  the  kings  of 
Judah,  one  of  whom,  Josiah,  found  a  part  of  the  word  of  God 
when  it  was  lost,  and  another,  Jehoiakim,  dared  to  burn  a  part 
of  it,  in  defiance  of  God  and  his  prophet  Jeremiah. 

The  history  of  the  lost  roll  may  be  f  ?und  in  2  Kings  xxii.  and 
xxiii.  Josiah  and  Cyrus  are  the  only  two  persons  in  Scripture 
prophesied  of  hy  name^  long  before  their  birth.  You  will  find 
the  prophecy  concerning  Josiah  in  1  Kings  xiii.  2,  and  its  literal 
fulfilment  in  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  5. 

When  he  found  the  roll,  he  honoured  it,  and  caused  the  people 
to  ''  stand  to  it,"  as  for  thirteen  years  afterward  they  did.  With 
Josiah  ended  the  peace,  the  prosperity,  and  the  piety  of  Judah ; 
and  the  history  of  that  kingdom  closes  with — 

THE    BURNT    ROLL, 

burnt  in  the  reign  of  Jehoiakim,  which  lasted  eleven  evil  years. 
Re  icas  the  first  person  icho  dared  to  destroy  any  part  of  the 
written  word  of  God,  and  he  might  therefore  well  be  Judah's 
last  king.  The  reverence  of  the  Jews  in  general  for  their  Di- 
vine writings  was  so  great,  that  if,  in  copying  the  manuscripts, 
they  made  a  single  error,  they  would  reject  the  material  thus 
bpoiled,,  and  have  be^n  all  again.  They  never  permitted  them- 
selves to  retouch  or  erase ;  and  in  coming  to  the  name  Jehovah, 
the)  always  wiped  their  pens  and  refilled  them.  When  the 
manuscripts  became  at  all  old  or  injured,  they  reverently  buried 
them  in  graves ;  and  this  is  the  reason  why  there  are  not  in  exist- 
eDce  any  very  old  Hebrew  manuscripts  of  the  Scriptures — none 
earlier  than  A.  D.  1200. 

Jehoiakim  felt  none  of  this  reverence.  He  daringly  sent  hia 
page,  Jehudi,  to  fetch  the  roll  of  the  prophecy  which  he  heard  Jere- 
miah had  written  against  him,  from  the  scribe's  chamber  in  the 
temple,  and  then  he  also  told  Jehudi  to  read  it  to  him. 


THE   CAPTIVITY   AND   RETURN.  '         59 


Jehudi,  liowever,  liad  read  but  three  or  four  columns,  •when 
the  king,  who  sat  in  his  winter-house,  with  a  fire  burning  before 
him,  snatching  it  from  the  reader,  cut  it  with  a  penknife,  and 
cast  it  into  the  fire.*  Two  or  three  of  the  princes  around  begged 
him  not  to  burn  it,  but  he  would  not  hear  them.  He  was  then 
about  to  seize  the  writers,  Jeremiah  and  Baruch,  but,  it  is  said. 
"  the  Lord  hid  them.'' 

For  this  crime  it  was  decreed  by  God  that  Jehoiakim  should 
have  none  to  sit  upon  the  throne  of  Judah,  and  that  his  dead 
body  should  be  cast  out  in  the  day  to  the  heat,  and  in  the  night 
to  the  frost,  which  was  literally  fulfilled,  as  recorded  by  Josephus 
in  the  eighth  chapter  of  his  tenth  book — "  the  body  of  the  king 
was  thrown  into  the  fields  without  the  walls  of  the  city;"  '^  his 
burial  was  as  the  burial  of  an  ass,  beyond  the  gates  of  Jerusa- 
lem ;"  and  then  all  the  wealth  of  the  city,  its  princes,  its  mighty 
men,  and  many  thousands  of  captives,  were  carried  away  into 
captivity  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  for  seventy  years,  to  Babylon. 


THE    CAPTIVITY   AND   RETU^^. 

We  know,  from  what  is  said  of  Daniel  and  Ezekiel,  that,  in 
the  days  of  their  exile,  the  people  were  not  without  their  Scrip- 
tures. By  the  rivers  of  Babylon  they  sat  down  and  wept;  they 
wept  when  they  remembered  Zion. 

It  has  been  the  constant  tradition  of  the  Jewish  Church,  that 
Ezra,  the  great  reformer,  with  the  assistance  of  the  members  of 
the  great  synagogue,  among  whom  were  the  prophets  Haggai, 
Zechariah,  and  Malachi,  collected  as  many  copies  as  possible  of 
the  sacred  writings,  and  from  them  set  forth  the  canon  of  the 
Old  Testament.  Ezra's  own  book,  with  those  of  Nehemiah  and 
Malachi,  was  added  128  years  afterward,  by  Simon  the  Just,  who 
was  the  last  of  that  synagogue.     He  died  E.  c.  292. 

On  the  return  of  the  people  from  capti^dty,  and  after  they  had 


*  See  .Ter.  xxxvi.  23, 


60  THE  :book  and  its  story. 


rebuilt  their  temple,  they  having  forgotten  the  Law,  it  was  re- 
delivered to  them  by  Ezra,  of  whom  the  Jews  always  speak  as  of 
a  second  Moses ;  and  they  say  that  he  lived,  like  Moses,  for  120 
years. 

This  forgetting  of  the  Law  on  the  part  of  the  people  argues 
that  the  copies  of  it  had  been  very  scarce,  and  that  it  had  not 
been  publicly  read  to  them  all  the  while  they  were  in  Babylon ; 
and  yet,  even  there,  Daniel,  who  wrote  in  kings'  courts,  and 
Ezekiel,  on  the  river  Chebar,  in  solitude,  at  thirty  miles'  distance 
from  the  city,  had  been  inspired  to  add  to  the  sacred  writings  two 
of  the  most  wonderful  of  the  prophetical  books — bearing  their 
own  names. 

At  the  appointed  time,  King  Cyrus,  having  conquered  Babylon, 
and  being  made  to  see,  by  Daniel,  the  prophecies  that  God  had 
uttered  concerning  him,  in  the  days  of  Hezekiah,  as  the  deliverer 
of  the  Jews,  (Isa.  xliv.  8,)  issued  an  edict,  permitting  them  to 
return  to  Jerusalem. 

You  will  find  the  history  of  their  return  in  the  books  of  Ezra 
and  Nehemiah. 

Only  the  "  remnant"  of  the  nation  returned ;  many,  it  seems, 
preferred  staying  in  Babylon  ;  vast  numbers  went  to  Egypt.  A 
hundred  thousand  earnest  men  (perhaps  scarcely  so  many,  for 
Ezra  speaks  of  the  return  only  as  "  giving  us  a  nail  in  the  holy 
place")  sought  once  more  the  land  of  their  fatL  jrs,.  The  journey 
occupied  four  months,  and  was  accomplished  in  two  bodies,  or 
caravans.  They  still  suffered  great  distress  on  their  arrival,  and 
did  not  for  twenty  years  begin  to  rebuild  their  temple ;  and  when 
it  was  completed,  the  elder  Jews,  who  had  seen  the  holy  and 
beautiful  house  of  Solomon,  wept  over  this  second  temple  in  com- 
parison with  it,  for,  alas  !  in  this  temple  four  things  were  wanting. 
There  was  no  ark,  no  sacred  fire  on  the  altar,  no  answer  by  Urim 
and  Thummim,  no  Shekinah  or  cloud  of  glory  between  the 
cherubim.  Still  they  rejoiced  in  the  re-establishment  of  the 
passover  and  the  temple  service ;  and  under  Nehemiah  the  city 
walls  were  rebuilt  on  the  old  foundations. 

The  republishing  of  the  Law  by  Ezra  did  not  take  place  till 


Ezra's  ministry.  61 


eighty  years  after  tlie  return  of  the  first  caravan  of  pilgrims  from 
Babylon.     We  must  try  and  realize  the  marked  features  of — 

EZRA'S   MINISTRY. 

Upward  cf  50,000  of  the  people  were  assembled  in  Jerusalem, 
in  the  square  of  the  water-gate,  as  many  as  were  assembled  in 
Trafalgar-square,  in  London,  at  the  funeral  of  the  late  Duke  of 
Wellington. 

A  surging  sea  of  human  faces  is  always  a  grand  sight.  On 
the  day  that  Ezra  preached,  and  it  was  early  in  the  morning  of 
the  Jewish  Sabbath,  50,000  faces  were  upturned  toward  the  pulpit 
of  wood  on  which  he  stood,  surrounded  by  thirteen  more  preachers 
on  a  platform  or  gallery,  six  on  one  side  of  him,  and  seven  on  the 
other.  Thirteen  other  teachers  seem  to  have  been  present  on 
another  platform,  to  read  by  turns,  so  that  all  the  people  might 
be  addressed. 

When  Ezra  ascended  the  pulpit  and  opened  the  roll  of  the  Law, 
the  whole  congregation  stood  up :  then  he  offered  prayer  and 
praise  to  God,  the  people  bowing  their  heads  and  worshipping, 
with  their  faces  to  the  ground;  and,  at  the  close  of  the  prayer, 
with  uplifted  hands  they  said,  "Amen.'^ 

Then,  all  still  standing,  Ezra,  assisted  sometimes  by  the  Le- 
vites,  read  the  Law  distinctly,  gave  the  sense,  and  caused  them 
to  understand  the  reading, — a  model  of  what  preaching  still 
should  be. 

The  Law,  as  delivered  by  Ezra,  so  affected  the  hearers,  -that 
they  wept  exceedingly,  and  about  noon  Ezra  and  Nehemiah 
thought  fit  to  restrain  it.  From  the  great  excitement  they 
evinced,  it  would  seem  that  the  reading  of  their  Scriptures,  in 
the  language  they  understood,  (Chaldee,)  was  a  new  thing  to 
them.  In  the  temple  service  it  had  no  doubt  been  read  in  tht^ 
sacred  language,  (Hebrew.) 

On  the  second  day  the  reading  was  resumed,  they  were  again 
instructed  in  the  Law,  and  they  then  appear  to  have  arrived  at 
the  31st  chapter  of  Deutcro\iomy,  when  Moses  commanded  the 


62  THE    BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


keeping  of  the  feast  of  Tabernacles,  which  they  immediately  pre- 
pared to  obey.  They  gathered,  as  cf  old,  branches  of  palm-trees 
and  willows  of  the  brook,  the  pine,  the  myrtle,  and  the  foliage 
of  the  mount  of  Olives  .to  make  booths,  and  there  was  very  great 
gladness. 

Under  the  shadow  of  these  booths,  for  the  space  of  seven  days, 
they  remembered  all  the  toils  of  the  wilderness ;  and  day  by  day 
Ezra  read  to  them  in  the  books  of  the  Law  of  God :  probably  in 
all  the  books, — for  the  Old  Testament  was  now  complete,  with 
the  exception  of  the  history  of  the  current  times.  Doubtless  the 
history  of  the  nation  was  read;  and  they  were  made  to  review 
God's  dealings  with  them :  very  likely  .the  Psalms  were  sung 
relating  to  the  events  which  David  and  others  had  celebrated; 
and  we  cannot  but  believe  that  Ezra  also  pointed  to  the  Prophets, 
and  showed  the  people  how  minutely  many  of  the  words  spoken 
by  them  had  been  fulfilled. 

They  knew  that  the  revelation  was  supported  by  the  great 
pillars  of  miracle  and  prophecy;  and  at  this  era,  the  common 
people  under  Ezra's  teaching  must  have  been  taught  to  feel  the 
strength  of  both.  The?/  stood  in  the  midst  of  a  circle  of  doomed 
countries,  on  all  of  which  the  thi'eats  of  their  sacred  writings  had 
heen  fulfilled,  as  icell  as  most  hitterly  upon  themselves. 

Nineveh,  Tyre,  Petra,  Thebes,  and  Babylon,*  as  well  as  Jeru- 
salem, had  all  been  desolated  within  a  space  of  forty  years,  chiefly 
by  Nebuchadnezzar,  the  Chaldean  king,  called  by  Jeremiah  "the 
hammer  of  the  whole  earth.''  Jer.  I.  23.  Juds-ment  had  beonin 
at  the -house  of  God,  as  it  always  does;  and  the  divided  kingdom 
of  Israel  had,  as  we  have  seen,  fallen  by  the  hand  of  the  kings 
of  Nineveh,  730  b.  c. 

Hosea  was  the  prophet  who  had  especially  foretold  their 
troubles.  If  you  look  back  to  the  table,"!"  you  will  see  that  he 
lived  during  the  reigns  of  several  of  the  last  wicked  kings  of 
Israel  The  ten  tribes  were  in  his  time  frightfully  corrupt:  the 
kings  were  murderers;  the  very  priests  were  idolaters.     When 

*  You  sVould  look  for  these  on  a  map.  f  See  page  56. 


NINEVEH.  63 


you  liave  read  Rosea' s  prophecy,  you  can  refer  to  its  fulfilment, 
in  the  17th  chapter  of  2  Kings.  Before  the  carrying  away  of 
the  nation  into  Assyria,  they  had  endured  the  deep  miseries  of  a 
seven  years'  famine,  when  a  woman  slew  and  boiled  her  own  son 
for  food,  as  Moses  had  foretold.    Deut.  xxviii.  53. 

The  kingdom  of  Israel  existed  254  years  distinct  from  Judah, 
under  nineteen  kings,  all  of  whom  were  wicked  men, — the  in- 
struments of  its  punishment.  Assyria,  whose  capital  was  Nine- 
veh, was  called  by  Isaiah  "the  rod  of  God's  anger."  Isa.  x.  5. 
Nineveh  had  long  been  an  enemy  to  the  Jewish  nation.  The 
kingdom  of  Assyria  was  as  old  as  that  of  Egypt.  Noah  himself 
may  have  seen  its  rise.  His  grandson  Asshur  went  out  of  the 
land  of  Shinar,  and  builded  Nineveh,  (Gen,  x.  11;)  and  for  1300 
years  it  had  endured  in  power  and  gloiy,  during  all  the  periods 
of  the  Jewish  history  through  which  we  have  just  passed. 

Ten  or  eleven  years  ago,  we  knew  a  little  about  Nineveh,  the 
gods  she  worshipped,  the  kings  who  ruled  over  her,  her  wealth 
and  her  wickedness,  and  more  especially  that  she  once  repented 
for  a  while  at  the  preaching  of  a  Jewish  prophet,  very  rarely  sent 
to  a  heathen  city.  We  knew  that  the  river  Tigris  flowed  slug- 
gishly along  through  the  waste  plains  where  the  city  once  stood 
with  all  its  palaces,  that  nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  desolate 
mounds,  where  great  feasts  had  been  held  by  conquering  kings 
for  120  days  together,  that  the  mighty  walls  with  their  1500 
towers,  and  the  vast  multitude  with  their  120,000  little  children, 
were  all  gone  down  into  the  grave  of  3000  years. 

We  had  found  much  about  Nineveh  in  the  Jewish  prophecies. 
Isaiah,  Ezekiel,  and  Nahum  had  foretold  her  ruin ;  and  Diodorus, 
a  Greek  historian,  had  told  us  of  the  funeral  pile  of  its  King 
Sardanapalus  in  his  own  palace,  when,  heaping  his  gold  and 
silver,  garments  and  jewels,  himself  and  his  wives,  on  a  great  pile 
of  wood,  (that  he  might  not  fall  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies,) 
he  consumed  himself,  his  treasures,  and  his  palace. 

We,  who  believed  the  Bible,  had  no  doubt  of  all  this  in  our 
childhood ;  but  we  had  no  idea  that  in  this  part  of  the  earth,  also, 
God  had  laid  up  a  great  stone  library  for  you  of  this  generatioe 


04  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS   STORY. 


to  read,  and  to  be  convinced  that  the  Book  and  its  volumes  agree : 
for  Nineveh  has  been  disentombed  since  you  were  born. 

Over  its  ruins,  the  sands  of  the  desert  had  heaped  themselves 
for  ages,  in  which  the  Arabs  had  built  villages,  and  made  graves 
for  generation  after  generation;  for  had  not  God  said  to  it,  by 
Nahum,  ^'Thou  shalt  be  hid,"  (Nah.  iii.  11;)  "I  will  cast 
abominable  filth  upon  thee,  and  will  make  thee  vile,  and  will  set 
thee  as  a  gazing-stock?''     Nah.  iii.  6. 

In  the  year  1842,  a  learned  Frenchman  and  a  wandering 
English  scholar,  Mons.  Botta  and  Mr.  Layard,  sought  the  seat  of 
this  once  powerful  empire,  and  searched  till  they  found  the  dead 
city.  They  threw  off  its  shroud  of  sand  and  ruin,  and  revealed 
to  an  astonished  and  curious  world  the  temples,  the  palaces,  and 
the  idols  of  that  Nineveh  of  Scripture,  in  which  the  captive 
tribes  of  Israel  had  laboured  and  wept, — the  twin-sister  of  Baby- 
lon, who  was  like  a  "cedar  in  Lebanon,"  and  who  made  all  the 
nations  to  shake  at  the  sound  of  its  fall.  "We  are  now  able  to 
realize  this  fall,  with  something  of  the  same  minuteness  with 
which  Ezra  could  have  depicted  it  to  the  Jews  who  had  returned 
from  the  captivity;  and  we  dwell  longer  on  the  ruin  of  this 
heathen  power  than  any  other,  because,  through  its  means,  we 
can  show  you  what  were  the  idolatries  after  which  the  nation  of 
Israel  went,  and  which  were  the  cause  of  their  rejection  and 
their  niin. 

If  you  visit  London  or  Paris,  you  may  look  with  your  own  eyes 
on  the  vast  stony  forms  which  have  come  up  from  their  long  and 
solemn  sleep  in  the  depths  of  the  earth,  such  as  those  in  the 
national  museums. 

The  eyes  of  the  prophet  Ezekiel  may  have  looked  upon  those 
very  sculptures.  They  were  a  kind  of  heathen  cherubim.  -The 
Eastern  nations  had  derived  their  idea  of  them  from  the  traditions 
concerning  the  cherubim  at  the  gate  of  Eden,  uniting  in  one  the 
noblest  forms  of  their  kind — the  lion  among  wild  beasts,  the  bull 
among  tame  ones,  the  eagle  among  the  birds,  and  man  as  the 
iord  of  all. 

Every  day,  as   Mr.  Layard  broke  further  into  the  earth,  he 


I 


NINEYEII. 


(}5 


Winged  Bull. 

found  fresh  wonders,  which  he  has  forwarded  to  the  Musemn; 

and  he  has  written  two  very  interesting  books  to  explain  them. 

He  found  that  these  colossal  forms  were  placed  at  the  entrance  of 

the  palace-temple,  whose  steps  came  down  to  the  river's  brink; 

that  every  room  in  the  palaces  had  been  coated  with  slabs,  on 

which  were  carved  histories,  not  in  words,  but  in  figures  standing 

out  from  the  stone,  called  bas-reliefs ;  and  though  some  of  these 

crumbled  to  powder  as  they  were  being  dug  out,  because  they 

had  been  calcined  with  fire,  according  to  the  prophecy  of  Nahum, 

— 'Hhen  shall  the  fire  devour  thee,^' — still  a  great  many  slabs 

have  been  sent  home  to  the  Museum,  where  a  beautiful  hall  has 

been  prepared  to  receive  them;  and  now  we  can  walk  among  its 

long,  light  galleries,  and  read  the  story  of  Nineveh  all  in  stone, 

dug  up  by  the  Arabs  of  the  desert. 

There  is  some  curious  writing  upon  those  vast  bulls,  all  in 

arrow-headed  character,  and  you  cannot  read  it.     Several  learned 

men,  however,  have  begun  to  do  so;  and  Mr.  Layard  tells  us, 

that  they  have  deciphered  a  complete  history  of  the  reign  and 

character  of  Sennacherib,  allusion  to  whom  is  made  in  the  Bible, 

at  2  Kings  xviii.  13.     There  is  .an   awful   strangeness  in  being 

thus,  as  it  were,  brought  face  to  face  with  the  solemn  antiquities 

of  the  Bible,  and  with  our  own  earliest  sacred  recollections 

6* 


66 


THE   BOOK   AND   ITS   STORY. 


Arrow-headecl  Character. 


[Translation.] 

"  Sennacherib,  the  mighty  king,  king  of  the  country  of  Assyria,  sitting  on 
the  throne  of  judgment,  before  (or  at  the  entrance  of)  the  city  of  Lachish, 
(Lachisha,)  I  give  permission  for  its  slaughter." 


The  Obelisk. 


A  certain  old  obelisk,  found  also  at  Nineveh,  is  now  in  the 
British  Museum :  upon  it  are  recorded,  according  to  Major  Raw- 


JERUSALEM. 


67 


Hnson,  the  names  of  Jehu  and  Hazael,  both  known  to  you  in 
Scripture. 

Many  other  names  of  kings,  idols, 
countries,  and  cities,  mentioned  in 
the  Old  Testament,  occur  in  the 
Assyrian  tablets,  on  which  also  are 
depicted  continually  images  of  the 
god  Nisroch,  the  god  of  Sardanapa- 
lus,  the  hawk-headed  deity.  And 
when  the  Jews  had  had  read  to 
them  the  Prophet  Nahum,  when  it 
was  read  in  Hebrew  and  translated 
into  Chaldee,  they  well  knew  how 
the  prophet's  words  had  been  ful- 
filled. The  cormorant  and  the  bit- 
tern lodged  in  the  upper  lintels  of 
the  palaces  of  that  rejoicing  city, 
that  had  said  in  her  heart,  "  I  am, 
^isroch.  and  there  is  none  beside  me;^'  God 

had  uncovered  the  cedar-work.  Zeph.  ii.  14,  15.  As  we  hope 
you  will  take  time  to  refer  to  the  chief  prophecies  which  concern 
Assyria  and  Nineveh,  we  have  given  you  a  list  of  them : 


Isa.  X.  15-19  ;  xxxi.  8. 
Ezek.  xxxi.  3-17. 


The  Book  of  Nahum. 
Zeph.  ii.  13-15. 


The  city  of  Nineveh  had  fallen  611  b.  c,  nearly  200  years  before 
Ezra's  republication  of  the  Scriptures.  It  was  600  miles  from 
Jerusalem. 


JERUSALEM.  . 

Having  looked  on  the  destruction  of  Nineveh,  the  sorrowful 
gaze  of  Judah  must  again  have  been  turned  iqjon  herself, — for 
she  was  the  next  who  fell  under  the  power  of  Nebuchadnezzar. 
Her  idolatry  had  provoked  the  Grod  of  her  fathers  to  jealousy, 
till  he  would  bear  with  her  no  more. 

She  had  worshipped,  after  the  manner  of  Egypt,   creeping 


68  THE   BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


••.hings  and  abominable  beasts  (Ezek.  viii.)  even  close  to  the 
sanctuary  of  God,  therefore  he  at  last  had  dealt  with  her  in  fury; 
and  Ezekiel  (x.  8),  had  seen  him  depart  from  off  the  threshold 
of  the  house  on  the  cherubim's  wings,  "scattering  coals  of  fire'' 
over  the  devoted  city,  as  he  went  to  return  no  more  in  glory  in 
that  dispensation. 

It  was  for  her  IDOLATRY  that  Judah  lost  her  land.  She 
rejected  God  and  his  word;  and  since  the  days  of  Jehoiakim,  ?tas 
never  possessed  her  kingdom,  but  as  the  servant  of  some  foreign 
power.  She  held  it  under  the  Babj^lonians,  the  Persians,  the 
Grecians,  and  the  Romans, — Daniel's  '^four  beasts;"  and  now 
under  the  Roman  power  in  its  papal  form,  (the  so-called  "  holy 
shrines"  being  scattered  over  all  her  mountains,)  Jerusalem  still 
abides  till  the  times  be  fulfilled,  when,  returning  Jlrst  to  that 
Moses  and  the  prophets  (Mai.  iv.  4)  whom  Jehoiakim  cast  aside, 
she  shall  forswear  the  vain  traditions  with  which  she  has  overlaid 
the  Law,  and  go  up  once  more  to  build  the  old  wastes,  and  repair 
the  desolations  of  many  generations ;  and  there,  "  at  Jerusalem, 
the  spirit  of  grace  and  supplication  being  poured  upon  her,"  as 
Zechariah  tells  us,  at  chapter  xii.  10,  "  she  shall  look  upon  him 
whom  she  hath  pierced,  and  mourn;"  and  "all  nations  shall  call 
her  blessed  in  her  delightsome  land.''  Mai.  iii.  12.  The  pro- 
phecies foretelling  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  by  Nebuchadnezzar 
will  be  found  in — 

Isa.  iii.  Jer.  xxv.  9-12  ;  xxvii.  Ezek.  xii. 

TYRE. 

We  must  now  pass  for  a  moment  to  Tyre,  the  city  on  the  rock, 
overlooking  the  sea, — the  noble  colony  of  the  sons  of  Anak,  re- 
posing beneath  the  shadow  of  Mount  Lebanon.  Four  years  after 
Nebuchadnezzar  had  been  used  to  chastise  the  Jews,  he  was  em- 
ployed in  punishing  the  sins  of  Tyre. 

Tyi'e,  the  merchant-city,  was  to  the  old  world  what  London  now 
's  to  the  new.  Her  glory  is  described  in  the  27th  chapter  of 
TiZekiel  :  her  fall  is  prophesied  in  the  28th.     Of  Nebuchadnezzar's 


TYRE PETRA.  69 


aniiy,  during  the  siege,  it  is  said,  that  by  the  toils  of  thirteen 
years  before  its  walls,  every  head  was  made  bald,  and  every 
shoulder  was  peeled, — a  result  arising  from  wearing  their  armour 
so  long,  and  carrying  burdens  to  build  the  high  terraces  from 
which  they  made  their  attack.  Seldom  has  the  deep  gathered 
Buch  a  harvest  to  its  treasures  as  when  Tyre  fell  in  the  midst  of 
its  waters.  Its  ruined  pillars  of  red  and  white  marble  lie  scattered 
along  the  shore.  Perhaps  some  day,  another  Mr.  Layard  may 
bring  to  light  the  ancient  Tyre.  For  the  prophecies  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  Tyre  see — 

Isa.  xxiii.  Ezek.  xxvi. ;  xxvii. ;  xxviii. 

Tyre  yielded  to  Nebuchadnezzar  b.  c.  671,  nineteen  years  after 
the  prophecies  against  it.  Like  all  the  heathen  cities.  Tyre  was 
wicked  and  proud.  She  had  said,  "I  am  perfect  in  beauty,"  and 
her  heart  was  lifted  up  because  of  her  beauty.  There  is  a  small 
book  published  by  "  The  London  Tract  Society,'^  entitled  ^'  Tyre ; 
its  Rise,  Griory,  and  Desolation,'^  which  contains  a  rich  store  of 
information,  especially  designed  for  young  persons,  and  to  which 
we  must  refer  them. 

PETRA. 

This  city  is  the  Bozrah  of  the  Bible,  and  was  the  southern 
capital  of  Edom. 

When  Nebuchadnezzar  destroyed  Jerusalem,  the  Edomites  wore 
almost  as  numerous  as  the  Jews.  Moses  tells  us  (Gen.  xxxvi.  1) 
that  Esau  is  Edom.  Esau  had  hated  Jacob,  and  their  childre^i 
were  always  at  enmity.  The  Edomites  had  united  with  Nebu. 
chadnezzar  to  besiege  Jerusalem,  and  urged  him  to  raze  it  even 
with  the  ground.  Psalm  cxxxvii.  7.  The  prophecies  against 
Edom  are  very  many,  and  are  a  continuation  of  God's  wrath  upon 
Amalek,  which  became  the  ascendant  race  and  general  name  for 
*  aU  the  children  of  Esau.*  These  prophecies  are  distinct  from 
those  against  Ishmael,  whose  children  are  spoken  of  as  the  tribes 
of  Kedar  and  Nebaioth.     On  Esau,  or  Edom,  the  judgments  pro- 


*  Forttcr's  "  Gen-rnphj  of  Arabiix. 


70  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


nounced  are  by  far  the  most  severe,  and  on  his  city,  Petra,  they 
were  chiefly  poured.  Spoiler  after  spoiler  ruined  it.  The  people 
worshipped  the  sun  and  moon,  and  made  their  houses,  palaces, 
and  temples  in  the  rocks  and  sides  of  the  mountains  which  sur- 
round the  valley  in  which  Petra  is  situated.  This  wondrous  city, 
with  its  rock-hewn  pillars  and  statues  of  exquisite  beauty,  once  the 
halting-place  and  mart  of  all  the  caravans  of  the  wilderness,  fell 
under  the  dominion  of  Jews,  Greeks,  Romans,  and  Arabs,  till  it 
became  what  it  now  is, — "  an  utter  desolation,'^  "  none  passing 
through  it  for  ever.''  For  1200  years  its  very  existence  was  un- 
known :  it  is  approached  only  through  a  narrow  dej&le  of  rocks, 
two  miles  in  length,  through  which  but  two  horsemen  can  ride 
abreast,  under  festoons  of  climbing  plants  and  trees.  At  the  end 
of  the  defile,  Petra,  the  dead  city,  bursts  upon  you,  silent  and 
beautiful  in  its  desert  tomb.  For  the  prophecies  against  Edom 
see — 

Jer.  xxvii.  3-11 ;  xlix.  7-22.  Joel  iii.  19. 

Ezek.  xxy.  12-14 ;  xxxii.  29.  Obad.  ver.  1,  8,  9. 

And  that  all  these  things  were  fulfilled  before  the  time  of  Malachi, 
we  know  from  Mai.  i.  2,  3. 

EGYPT. 

In  reflecting  on  the  words  of  their  prophets,  the  Israelites  would 
also  turn  to  Egypt.  This  ancient  kingdom,  also,  was  intensely 
proud.  Her  king,  Pharaoh  Ilophra,  says  Herodotus,  "  had  boasted 
that  it  was  not  even  in  the  power  of  God  to  dethrone  him";  and 
Ezekiel  compared  him  to  a  great  dragon  lying  in  the  midst  of  his 
streams,  and  saying,  "  My  river  is  mine  own,  and  I  have  made  it 
for  myself."  Ezek.  xxix.  3.  Nebuchadnezzar  caused  him  to  be 
strangled  in  his  own  place.  He  made  dreadful  havoc  in  the  do- 
minions of  the  Pharaohs.  God  had  put  the  sword  into  his  hand, 
and  he  was  to  break  the  images,  and  burn  with  fire  the  houses  of 
the  gods,  while  the  Jews,  who  had  gone  down  to  Egypt,  and 
wickedly  determined  to  burn  incense  to  the  queen  of  heaveU; 
were  to  be  consumed  in  these  judgments,  till  there  was  an  end  of 


EGYPT — BABYLON.  71 


them.  Jer.  xliv.  12.  From  that  hour  Egypt  has  been  the  basest 
of  the  kingdoms,  and  Israel  has  leaned  upon  it  as  a  staff  no  mort. 
The  prophecies  against  it  are  found  in — 

Isa.  xix ;  xxx.  1-7.  Ezek.  xxix.  and  xxx. 

Jer.  xlvi.  Ezek.  xxxi.  1-18  ;  xxxii. 

Joel  iii.  19. 

And  for  their  fulfilment,  besides  the  destruction  caused  by  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, you  must  likewise  refer  to  the  times  when  the  Persian 
war-cry  rang  through  the  crowded  streets  of  Thebes,  when  Cam- 
byses  laid  his  destroying  hand  on  Karnak  and  its  sculptures,  and 
when  Alexander  the  Great  completed  the  ruin  his  predecessors 
had  begun. 

BABYLON. 

Once  more  the  eye  of  the  chosen  people  would  turn  to  the  fall 
of  the  all-conquering  Babylon  itself.  You  have  heard  of  its  brazen 
gates  and  its  676  squares,  its  walls  and  its  hanging  gardens,  where 
Nebuchadnezzar  said,  "  Is  not  this  great  Babylon  which  I  have 
built  ?"  You  remember  the  hand  that  wrote  in  fire  on  the  walls 
of  Belshazzar's  palace ;  and  having  referred  to  the  prophecies  of 
the  fall  of  this  mighty  empire  in — 

Isa.  xiii. ;  xxi.  9;  xlviii.  14-20;  Jer.  L  and  li.; 

— ^you  will  be  prepared  to  read  the  sublime  narration  of  Daniel, 
the  eye-witness  of  all  its  horrors,  in  the  fifth  chapter  of  his  own 
book. 

How  deeply  the  lesson  of  all  these  vast  fulfilments  of  the  word 
of  God  was  impressed  upon  the  minds  of  the  returned  remnant 
of  Judah,  we  may  judge  from  the  fact,  which  all  history  confirms, 
that  they  ever  afterward  felt  a  profound  dread  and  aversion  for 
all  the  pagan  idolatries. 

Ezra  did  much  to  cut  off  this  evil  at  its  root,  by  causing  them 
to  put  away  at  once  their  heathen  wives.  This  was  a  severe  and 
terrible  measure,  and  it  grieved  him  deeply  to  enforce  it,  (sea 
Ezra  ix.  10 ;)  but  he  felt  it  was  essential  to  their  future  existence 
18  a  nation. 


72  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


While  Nehemiah  was  governor  of  Judea,  the  Jewess  Esther 
was  raised  to  the  Persian  throne ;  and  with  her  beautiful  history, 
the  records  of  the  ancient  world,  as  given  to  us  in  the  Bible, 
are  ended. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Jewish  Bible  complete — The  Apocrypha — The  Septuagint — Daniel's  two 
Pictures — Antiochus  Epiphanes — The  Maccabees — Judas  Maccabeus — The 
Roman  Power — Pompey — Caesar — The  Druids — Their  Hebrew  Origin — 
Serpent-worship — Druidical  Remains — Greek  Philosophers — Herod — The 
Temple — The  Synagogues — Traditions  of  the  Pharisees — Targums — Phari- 
sees and  Sadducees — The  faithful  Few — The  Rabbins — John  the  Baptist — 
His  Ministry — Our  Lord's  Advent — His  Mission — Books  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament— The  First  Century^ — Its  Apostles  and  Elders — The  Last  Supper — 
Violent  Death  of  all  who  partook  of  it,  except  John — First  and  second  Pagan 
Persecutions — Destruction  of  Jerusalem. 

We  wish  to  take  you  in  this  chapter  through  the  Story  of  the 
Book  for  a  period  of  500  years,  comprising  the  last  four  centuries 
of  the  Old  Testament  dispensation,  and  the  first  century  of  the 
New. 

The  Hebrew  people  must  still  be  regaioed  in  one  light,  for  the 
four  centuries  before  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  as  the  keepers  of 
the  word  of  God.  They  alone  had  received  it,  and  they  pre- 
served it  through  this  middle  space  of  time  between  Malachi,  the 
last  of  their  prophets,  and  the  cry  of  John  the  Baptist  in  the 
wilderness  of  Judea,  whose  coming,  as  the  forerunner  of  the  Lord, 
Malachi's  last  words  had  foretold.     See  Mai.  iv.  5,  and  Matt.  iii.  1, 2 

The  Bihle  of  the  Jeios  icas  complete.  It  is  called  the  ''Canon 
of  the  Old  Testament.^'  The  word  canon  means  a  rule,  a  settled 
law  ;  and,  as  you  may  have  heard  of  some  books  not  in  this  canon, 
which  are  generally  called  the  Apocri/pha,  and  which  may  be 
found  in  a  few  old  Bibles  bound  up  between  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments,  we  must  give  you  a  short  history  of  them. 

They  were  not  inspired  books  :  some  were  written  by  learned 
Jews  at  Alexandria,  after  the  prophetic  spirit  had  ceased  with 


Daniel's  two  ncTuiiES.  73 


Malachi.  Not  even  their  writers  say  they  are  inspired :  thcj 
were  written  in  Greek,  and  not  in  Hebrew,  the  ancient  sacred 
language.  They  were  never  received  as  sacred  by  the  ancient 
Jewish  Church,  and  not  a  single  passage  in  them  is  ever  quoted 
by  Jesus  Christ,  or  by  his  apostles.  • 

A  f^w  of  these  books  are  considered  valuable  as  a  connecting 
link  in  history,  but  a  child  may  perceive  the  difference  between 
them  and  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

These  apocryphal  or  doubtful  books  were  not  added  to  the 
Hebrew  copies  of  the  Scriptures,  but  only  to  the  "  Septuagint," 
or  Greek  version,  made  at  Alexandria,  B.  c.  277,  by  a  council  of 
seventy  learned  men,  for  the  use  of  the  Jews  in  Egypt,  who  were 
accustomed  to  speak  Greek. 

Alexandria  was  then  a  chief  colony  of  the  Jews ;  it  is  said  that 
a  hundred  thousand  of  them  resided  there.  It  was  at  that  time 
one  of  the  greatest  cities  in  the  world. 

]jearned  men  consider  this  translation,  called  the  Septuagint, 
very  valuable.  The  evangelists  and  the  apostles  quoted  from 
it  as  much  as  from  the  Hebrew. 

During  the  Babylonian  captivity,  the  Prophet  Daniel  was  in- 
spired to  give  to  the  world  two  pictures  of  the  further  events  that 
would  occur  in  the  400  years  which  were  to  introduce  the  king- 
dom of  the  Messiah. 

The  figures  which  compose  his  first  picture  had  previously  been 
presented  in  a  dream  to  the  inind  of  Nebuchadnezzar  himself; 
and  Daniel  was  called  upon  to  declare  what  the  king  had  seen, 
and  to  explain  its  meaning. 

Nebuchadnezzar  had  seen  in  his  dream  an  image  with  a  head 
of  gold,  its  breast  of  silver,  its  middle  of  brass,  and  its  legs  of 
iron,  the  feet  partly  iron  and  partly  clay,  and  he  had  seen  a  stone 
cut  out  without  hands  smiting  this  image  on  its  feet,  and  break- 
ing the  whole  fabric  to  pieces. 

This  dream  Daniel  thus  explained.  He  told  Nebuchadnezzar 
that  he,  the  King  of  Babylon,  was  himself  the  head  of  golc ; 
that  after  his  kingdom  should  come  three  other  kingdoms,  each 
less  glorious  than  his ;  and  that  all  four  should  be  destroyed  by 


74  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS   STORY. 


a  greater  kingdom  than  any  of  theni — -.the  kingdom  of  the.  God 
of  heaven,  which  should  last  for  ever.  You  must  read  the  dream 
and  its  interpretation  in  the  second  and  third  chapters  of  the  book 
of  Daniel. 

The  prophet's  second  picture  is  contained  in  his  seventh  chap- 
ter ;  and  it  is  a  picture  of  the  same  four  great  empires,  but  now 
represented  under  the  form  of  four  great  beasts,  who  were  also  to 
succeed  one  another  in  dominion. 

Further  visions  in  the  eighth  chapter  informed  Daniel,  that  the 
second  kingdom  was  that  of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  the  third 
that  of  the  Grecians ;  the  fourth  empire  is  not  named,  but  it  is 
fully  described,  and  events  proved  it  to  be  the  mighty  power  of 
Rome. 

All  ancient  history  confirms  the  truth  of  this  magnificent  pro- 
phecy. The  Babylonian  empire  passed  away,  as  we  have  seen,  at 
the  taking  of  Babylon  by  Cyrus :  the  Persian  empire  fell  when 
Darius  was  conquered,  B.  c.  330,  by  Alexander,  who  is  the 
leopard  of  the  picture,  with  four  heads ;  while  the  Grecian  ceded 
to  the  Boman  power  about  150  years  before  Christ,  which  then 
began  to  eclipse  all  others ;  and  having  conquered  Carthage,  soon 
became  the  sovereign  of  the  world. 

It  principally  concerns  us  to  know  what  become  of  the  Jews 
during  this  period.  Among  themselves,  the  high-priests  had  the 
chief  power.  The  sixth  in  succession  from  the  time  of  their 
governor  Nehemiah,  was  Simon  the  Just;  his  most  important 
work  (according  to  tradition)  was  the  final  arrangement  of  the 
books  of  the  Old  Testament.  He  added  to  Ezra's  collection  the 
books  of  Ezra,  Nehemiah,  Esther,  and  Malachi;  and  thus,  as  we 
have  said,  completed  the  canon. 

About  this  time,  from  the  intercourse  of  the  Jews 'with  the 
Greeks,  and  in  imitation  of  their  schools  of  wisdom,  sprung  up 
two  sets  of  learned  doctors  in  Jerusalem,  called  the  Pharisees  and 
the  Sadducees. 

At  this  period  also  arose  their  very  great  enemy,  Antiochus 
Epiplianes-  The  Jews  to  this  day  have  never  forgotten  his  cruel- 
tics.     He  was  truly  "  a  vile  person ;"  and  the  accounts  of  heathen 


JUDAS    MACCABEUS.  76 


historians  seem  to  prove  that  he  answers  to  Daniel's  description 
of  the  King  of  the  North,  (Dan.  xi.  21  :)  by  the  North,  is  in- 
tended Syria,  which  was  north  of  Palestine. 

Antiochus  caused  a  general  massacre  in  Jerusalem,  which 
lasted  three  days :  40,000  Jews  were  killed,  and  as  many  made 
slaves.  He  then  entered  the  temple  to  carry  oflF  its  gold  and 
silver,  and  caused  swine  to  be  sacrificed  upon  its  altar. 

Shortly  afterward,  he  attacked  the  city  on  the  Sabbath,  when 
the  Jews  were  forbidden  to  fight ;  slew  many,  and  sold  more ; 
shed  blood  within  and  without  the  temple;  and,  building  a 
strong  fortress  on  Mount  Zion,  caused  such  multitudes  to  flee, 
that  the  city  was  like  a  desert ;  the  daily  sacrifices  were  discon- 
tinued, B.  c.  168  ;  the  temple  dedicated  to  Jupiter,  an  idol  placed 
therein,  and  only  those  Jews  favoured  who  worshipped  it  through 
fear  of  death. 

Yet  even  at  this  time  many  were  found  faithful.  They  would 
not  forget  their  Law,  and  change  its  ordinances. 

^'  Then  the  wicked  king  rent  in  pieces  the  books  of  the  Law 
which  he  found,  and  -burnt  them  with  fire;  and  whoever  pos- 
sessed copies  of  these  books,  or  consented  to  the  Law,  it  wUs 
ordained  that  they  should  die;  wherefore  they  chose  rather  to 
die,  that  they  might  not  profane  the  holy  covenant.'^ 

^'  So,  then,  they  died.'^  They  led  the  way  in  the  long  roll  of 
names  of  the  martyrs  for  the  Book,  Among  these,  the  most 
distinguished- were  seven  brethren,  and  their  mother,  under  the 
Maccabees,  who,  refusing  to  disobey  the  Law  of  Moses,  underwent 
every  possible  torment,  and  were  at  last  fried  alive,  in  a  brazen 
pan  made  red-hot,  one  after  the  other — being  supported  of  God, 
and  each  singing  the  words  of  Moses's  Song,  (Deut.  xxxii.  86-43,) 
exhorting  one  another  to  die  for  the  truth's  sake.  The  mother 
entreated  each  son  to  be  faithful  unto  death,  and  last  of  all  she, 
like  them,  was  tortured,  and  died  also. 

In  the  midst  of  these  troubles,  God  raised  up  for  his  people  a 
deliverer  as  in  old  time,  Judas  Maccabeus,  who  trusted  in  the 
Lord,  and  in  his  name  defeated  the  Syrian  armies :  then  he 
cleansed  the  temple,  and  built  a  new  altar  in  the  place  of  that 


i6  THE  BOOK  AND  ITS  STORY. 


wlii(3li  was  defiled :  all  the  services  and  sacrifices  were  renewed 
three  years  and  a  half  after  they  had  been  discontinued. 

Antiochus  soon  after  this  died  in  dreadful  bodily  torments, 
with  all  the  terrors  of  a  guilty  conscience;  but  the  Syrians  still 
continued  to  make  war  on  Judea,  and  Judas  continued  to  over- 
come them  through  prayer,  God  being  with  him  as  in  the  days 
of  Israel  of  old. 

It  was  not  in  times  of  trouble  that  his  faith  failed.  He  be- 
came very  rich,  and  a  prince  among  the  people.  After  many 
fresh  victories,  he  grew  weary  of  the  further  incursions  of  his 
enemies;  and  this  chief  of  the  Maccabees  sent  to  Rome,  and 
sought  for  help  from  those  who  were  ignorant  of  the  living  God. 

Ere  the  messenger  of  Judas  returned  to  bring  a  promise  of 
help  from  the  Homan  Senate,  he  who  had  sought  for  other  help 
than  God's  was  slain,  b.  c.  161.  The  failure  in  faith  of  this 
man  of  God  was  like  that  of  Jehoshaphat  of  old ;  and  by  the  step 
he  took  he  hastened  the  ruin  of  his  people.  His  death  was 
bitterly  lamented  throughout  Judea,  as  that  of  the  greatest  de- 
liverer who  had  appeared  since  the  days  of  David. 

We  must  pass  over  the  successors  of  Judas  Maccabeus :  his 
nephews  were  wild  and  wicked  men, — murderous  high-priests, 
who  assumed  also  the  royal  diadem :  one  of  them,  named  Jan- 
nasus,  was  a  monster  of  cruelty,  having  the  word  of  God  for  a 
light,  and  despising  its  guidance.  The  sin  of  rejecting  even  the 
Mosaic  Law  was  far  greater  than  any  that  the  heathen  nations 
could  commit;  and  while  such  was  the  character  of  the  high- 
priests,  God  might  well  desert  the  Jewish  nation  as  a  nation^  as 
he  did  from  this  time  forward. 

The  Jewish  history  henceforth  is  closely  connected  with  that 
of  the  Roman  empire. 

Pompey,  the  general  of  the  Roman  armies,  took  advantage  of 
the  constant  quarrels  the  Jews  had  among  themselves,  to  add 
Judea  to  his  conquests;  and  thus  the  fourth  of  the  Gentile  beasts 
of  Daniel  began  to  tread  down  the  holy  city. 

He  took  the  temple  by  storm;  and  the  Pharisees,  who  were 
always  fighting  against  the  Sadducees,  earnestly  helped  him.     The 


rOMPEY — CJESAR.  77 


priests  engaged  in  the  daily  services  were  slain  where  they  stood. 
Pompey  entered  the  holiest  place :  he  saw  no  visible  glory,  for  it 
had  long  departed,  (Ezek.  x ;)  but  he  was  astonished  at  finding 
no  image  or  statue  of  the  Deity.  However,  he  showed  his  re- 
spect for  the  place  by  touching  none  of  its  treasures;  and  he 
ordered  it  to  be  cleansed,  and  its  services  renewed. 

He  then  returned  to  Rome,  entering  it  in  his  triumphal,  glit- 
tering chariot,  to  which  were  yoked  all  the  kings  he  had  con- 
quered; among  them,  Aristobulus  of  Judea,  and  his  sons.  He 
Wd  overcome  in  that  campaign  fifteen  kingdoms,  taken  800  cities, 
md  caused  1000  castles  to  acknowledge  his  empire;  and  he 
wrought  back  treasure  to  the  amount  of  five  millions  of  our  money. 
iTet  he  was  only  a  single  general  of  Rome's  armies. 

Was  not  that  fourth  heast  '^exceeding  dreadful,"  (Dan.  vii.  19,) 
ffith  his  "teeth  of  iron  and  his  nails  of  brass,  devouring,  break- 
ing in  pieces,  and  stamping  the  residue  with  his  feet'^  ? 

It  is  as  trampled  beneath  these  feet,  Britain  is  first  brought  into 
conjunction  icith  Judea. 

While  Pompey  triumphed  in  the  East,  Caesar  went  forth  and 
conquered  the  West.  The  people  of  the  Swiss  valleys  were  first 
subdued,  then  80,000  Germans  fell  before  him :  the  Belgae  were 
defeated  with  such  slaughter,  that  marshes  and  deep  rivers  were 
rendered  impassable  by  heaps  of  dead  bodies :  then  he  subdued 
the  Gauls,  and  only  looked  with  the  unsatisfied  eye  of  a  ravenous 
eagle  (the  standard  of  the  Roman  empire  was  an  eagle)  to  the 
white  clifis  of  Albion,  as  he  stood  upon  the  shore  of  France. 

He  sailed  from  Calais,  B.  C.  55,  and  landed  where  the  town  of 
Deal  now  stands. 

The  Britons  were  even  then  fierce  enough  to  frighten  the 
Romans;  but  they  could  not  withstand  men  clad  in  armour. 
We  need  not  give  you  the  early  history  of  Britain,  for  all  school 
children  are  supposed  to  know  it;  but  we  must  touch  upon  the 
ancient  religion,  such  as  it  was,  which  prevailed  among  the 
Britons  before  the  comino-  of  the  Lord. 

It  was  very  ancient:  its  priests  were  called  Druids,  as  wer« 
the  pi  iests  of  the  Celtic  nations  in  general. 


78  THE  BOOK  AND  ITS  STORY. 


The  Celtic  nations  descended  from  Japlieth,  wlio  peopled  Eu- 
rope, and  on  whom  that  blessing  was  pronounced  by  his  father 
Noah,  '^God  shall  enlarge  Japheth,  and  he  shall  dwell  in  the 
tents  of  Shem;  and  Canaan  shall  be  his  servant."  This  promise 
had  not  l)een  fulfilled  in  the  times  we  have  hitherto  consider<?d. 
"We  have  led  you  to  the  ancient  East,  but  now  we  shall  return  to 
look  upon  ourselves — the  children  of  the  West. 

The  religion  of  the  Druids  was  as  old  as  that  of  the  Magi  of 
Persia,  the  Brahmins  of  India,  and  the  Chaldees  of  Babylon  and 
Nineveh. 

The  corruptions  of  each,  like  those  of  Egypt,  arose  at  first  out 
of  the  pure  religion  of  Noah;  and  you  will  find  that  the  simple 
primitive  customs  of  the  patriarchs  of  the  Bible  sufiered  the  least 
change  among  the  Druids  of  Britain. 

When  Caesar  landed  on  the  British  shores,  he  did  not  plant 
his  silver  Roman  eagles  in  the  highlands  and  islands  of  Scot- 
land. Far  out  of  the  every-day  world,  in  the  Western  Hebrides, 
side  by  side  with  Stafia,  the  cathedral  of  the  sea,  in  the  great 
bay  of  Loch-na-keal,  there  lay  then,  as  there  lies  now,  the  island 
of  lona,  whose  oldest  name  was  the  ^'Isle  of  the  Druids.'' 

Here,  in  times  of  which  we  have  no  written  record,  were  car- 
ried on  many  of  the  simple  religious  customs  of  the  old  Hebrews : 
and  when  Nineveh  had  carved  her  vast  stone  cherubim,  and 
bowed  down  before  her  eagle-headed  Nisroch,  and  while  Egypt 
worshipped  her  Isis  and  her  Apis,  in  lona  was  reared  no  temple 
and  no  image;  but  the  altar  of  turf  or  stone,  and  the  oifering 
from  the  increase  of  the  fold  or  field,  testified  to  the  one  God, 
whom  Noah  served  in  the  same  manner  when  he  came  out  of  the 
ark.  Afterward  Satan,  the  god  of  this  world,  corrupted  this 
simple  faith  into  the  earliest  of  idolatries,  and  the  worship  of  the 
sun  became  the  religion  of  the  Druids.  There  soon  followed,  as 
among  all  other  heathen  nations,  the  worship  of  the  serpent. 
The  serpent's  egg  was  the  Druid's  crest,  and  the  actual  serpent  ■ 
lay  entwined  at  the  foot  of  their  altars.  One  of  their  most  re- 
markable remains  is  at  Avebury,  in  Wiltshire,  where  461  stones 
once  composed  the  figure  of  a  serpent  extending  for  two  and  a 


THE   DRUIDS.  79 


half  miles  over  tte  green  liills,  and  serving  as  approaclies  to 
circles  within  a  circle.  The  head  and  tail  of  the  snake  are  still 
obvious.* 

It  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  triumphs  of  that  "old  ser- 
pent the  devil/'  that  he  has  succeeded  in  persuading  fallen  man^ 
in  every  country,  and  in  every  age,  without  exception,  to  adore 
that  reptile  form  in  which  he  destroyed  the  happiness  of  our  first 
parents. 

In  the  temple  of  Belus  at  Babylon,  were  worshipped  large 
serpents  of  silver.  In  Persia,  serpents  were  considered  the 
governors  of  the  universe.  The  serpent  Calya  was  worshipped 
in  Hindostan,  as  was  the  serpent  Python  at  Delphos.  Under  the 
form  of  the  dragon,  the  serpent  has  to  this  day  governed  China 
and  Japan;  while  the  serpent-worship  of  Syria  and  Egypt  is 
shown  by  all  the  ancient  history  of  those  countries.  It  entered 
largely  into  the  mythology  of  Greece  and  Rome ;  and  in  order  to 
separate  God's  people  from  this  universal  serpent-worship,  Heze- 
kiah,  when  he  broke  the  images,  and  cut  down  the  groves,  also 
broke  in  pieces  even  that  precious  relic,  the  brazen  serpent  that 
Moses  had  lifted  up  in  the  wilderness,  calling  it  Nehushtan,  or 
only  a  piece  of  brass,  for  the  children  of  Israel  had  burnt  incense 
to  it.     2  Kings  xviii.  4. 

But  to  return  to  the  Druids.  The  proof  that  their  religion 
in  its  origin  was  patriarchal,  we  shall  show  you  among  trees  and 
stones. 

The  oak  tree  has  at  one  time  or  other  been  held  in  especial 
reverence  by  all  nations.  The  same  word  in  Hebrew  denotes  an 
oah  and  an  oatli;  and  a  stone  placed  under  an  oak  was  among 
the  Hebrews  a  monument  of  a  Divine  covenant. 

When  Joshua  had  written  the  words  of  the  covenant  in  the 
Book  of  the  Law  of  God,  he  took  a  great  stone  and  set  it  up 
under  an  oak  at  Shechem,  and  said  to  the  people,  "  This  stone 
shall  be  a  witness,  for  it  hath  heard  all  the  words  of  the  Lord." 
Josh.  xxiv.  25-27.     On  this  very  stone,  Abimelech  was  after 

*  See  Stukeley's  ''  Abury." 


80  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


ward  made  king.  Judg.  Ix.  6.  In  earlier  days,  after  Jacob'a 
beautiful  ladder-dream,  he  took  the  stone  which  had  been  his 
pillow,  and  set  it  up  at  Bethel,  in  memorial  of  the  place  which 
had  been  to  him  the  gate  of  heaven.  Gen.  xxviii.  18. 

Sometimes  stones  were  raised  to  mark  the  spot  of  a  victory, 
as  at  Mizpeh,  (1  Sam.  vii.  12 ;)  sometimes  over  the  grave  of  a 
dead  fi'iend,  as  upon  Rachel's  grave.  Gen.  iii.  20.  The  erect 
gravestones  in  our  burial-grounds  are  memorials  of  this  custom  • 
and  in  1  Sam.  vi.  15—18,  we  read  of  a  stone  rendered  memora- 
ble by  the  ark  of  God  being  placed  upon  it,  when  returned  from 
the  Philistines,  and  taken  out  of  the  cart  by  the  Levites,  which 
stone  had  before  been  well  known  as  "  the  great  stone  of  Abel.'' 

The  most  striking  example  of  a  circle  of  memorial-stones  being 
set  up,  in  Scripture,  is  by  Joshua  at  Gilgal,  which  word  means 
circle.  These  stones  were  taken  up  out  of  the  bed  of  the  river, 
and  pitched  in  Gilgal.  At  this  place  Samuel  the  prophet  after- 
ward held  his  courts  of  judgments  from  year  to  year;  and  an 
altar  must  have  been  erected  here,  for  at  Gilgal  was  consecrated 
Saul,  the  first  of  Israel's  kings;  and  here  also  Agag  was  "hewed 
in  pieces  before  the  Lord."  Gilgal  appears  to  have  been  the 
customary  residence  of  the  Prophet  Elisha. 

Those  stones  told  wondrous  histories  throughout  the  old  He- 
brew times ;  and  by  no  people  were  these  customs  so  distinctly 
preserved  as  by  the  Druids.  Thei/,  like  Israel,  worshipped  in 
groves,  at  first  very  naturally  seeking  intercourse  with  God  under 
the  shadow  of  ancient  woods,  and  set  up  memorial-stones  gene- 
rally under  oaks,  which  to  them  were  especially  sacred ;  then, 
like  Israel,  and  without  their  written  revelation,  polluting  them 
by  idol-worship,  some  have  said  by  human  sacrifices.  There  is, 
however,  considerable  historical  evidence,  that  the  men  killed  on 
these  stone  altars,  with  one  stroke  of  the  sword,  were  those  who, 
in  later  ages,  would  have  forfeited  their  lives,  as  criminals,  on 
the  scaffold.  From  the  posture  in  which  the  victim  fell,  tho 
Druids  decided  their  auguries  or  divinations. 

The  ciisles  of  stone,  called  Druidical,  are  still  numerous  in 
"Britain,  on  lofty  hills  and  elevated  plains ;  the  most  magnificent 


THE   DRUIDS. 


is  that  of  Stonehenge  on  Salisbury  Plain.  These  circles  are  also 
found  in  Normandy.  They  were  the  temples  for  worship  of  our 
forefathers,  open  to  the  sky:  the  priests  stood  wiihin  the  circle^ 
the  people  without, — a  dim  shadow  of  Moses  and  the  elders  on 
Mount  Sinai  and  the  people  fenced  off  around  ita  base, — also  of 
the  Tabernacle  and  its  inner  and  outer  courts. 

The  Druids  resorted,  like  Israel,  to  their  place  of  stones,  at  ah 
times  of  important  consultation,  and  sat  in  their  consecrated 
circles  to  judge  and  give  laws.  In  Iceland,  these  were  called 
doom-rings.  Sometimes  the  old  stones  witnessed  the  choice  of 
kings  amid  the  songs  of  the  bards. "  In  the  very  dress  of  the 
arch-Druid,  there  is  something  that  reminds  us  of  that  of  the 
high-priest — his  rod,  in  imitation  of  that  of  Moses,  his  robes  of 
pure  white  fastened  by  a  girdle  on  which  appeared  the  crystal  of 
augury,  encased  in  gold  :  as  this  jewel  sparkled  or  grew  dim^ 
the  person  appealing  to  him  rejoiced  or  trembled.  Round  hit 
neck,  also,  was  the  breastplate  of  judgment,  said  to  possess  the 
property  of  squeezing  the  neck  on  the  utterance  of  a  false 
decision.* 

There  were  schools  of  the  Druids  like  the  schools  of  the  pro- 
phets of  old.  lona  was  their  inner  sanctuary;  and  here  a  train- 
ing-college for  their  order  existed  for  centuries.  Here  also  they 
buried  their  kings.  They  seem  to  have  loved  island  refuges. 
Mona,  or  Anglesey,  was  also  their  favourite  island,  and  Guernsey 
and  Jersey  are  full  of  their  altars. 

Some  of  their  triads  or  wise  sayings  are  very  instructive,  such 
as,  "There  are  three  unseemly  thoughts, — 'thinking  ourselves 
wise;  thinking  every  person  else  unwise;  thinking  all  we  like 
becoming  in  us.'  There  are  three  sorts  of  men, — 'a  man  to  Grcd, 
who  does  good  for  evil ;  a  man  to  man,  who  does  good  for  good 
and  evil  for  evil;  and  a  man  to  the  devil,  who  does  evil  for 
good.'  "  And  while  the  bardic  motto  was,  actually,  ''  Truth 
against  the  world," — still,  of  revealed  truth  they  knew  nothing ; 
superstition  and  cruelty  mingled  even  with  their  simple  forms  ot 


*  M3yrick's  "Costumes." 


82  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS   STORY. 


worship,  and   priest   and  people  were  alike  perishing  for   laci 
of  knowledge. 


The  Romans  called  the  Druids  "barbarians;"  they  called  all 
barbarians  whom  they  considered  as  less  enlightened  than  them- 
selves and  the  Greeks :  they  called  the  Jews  barbarians,  even  in 
the  times  of  the  apostles.  Romans,  Greeks,  and  barbarians  were, 
in  their  view,  the  chief  divisions  among  mankind. 

Rome,  like  an  immense  beehive,  did  as  England  now  does, — 
sent  forth  its  swarms  from  time  to  time  into  the  countries  which 
its  legions  had  subdued.  The  Romans  believed  in  many  gods, 
but  had  no  objection  to  add  to  their  own  gods  those  of  the  people 
they  conquered,  so  as  to  reconcile  them  to  their  yoke.  Such  was 
the  idea  of  the  common  people;  but  the  learned  men,  though 
they  seemed  to  agree  with  the  vulgar,  professed  among  themselves 
to  worship  only  one  god  in  a  great  variety  of  forms. 

They  constructed  systems  which  they  thought  very  wise,  and 
divided  themselves  into  a  great  many  sects  named  after  their 
founders,  Epicurus,  Aristotle,  Plato,  etc.  These  sects  were 
always  multiplying  errors;  and  whenever  any  truth  is  found 
among  them,  they  had  gathered  it  from,  the  Jews,  who  were  scat- 
tered everywhere,  and  whom  they  held  in  the  greatest  contempt, 
as  well  as  the  idea  of  their  possessing  a  Divine  revelation. 

We  left  the  Jewish  king,  Aristobulus,  in  chains  at  Rome. 
The  history  of  the  Jewish  nation  was  at  this  time  so  full  of 
shocking  crimes,  that  their  own  historian,  Josephus,  knows  not 
how  to  recite  it.  The  Romans  divided  Judea  into  five  provinces, 
and  appointed  governors  to  each. 

One  of  these  governors,  Herod,  afterward  persuaded  the  Ro- 
mans to  make  him  king.  He  was  the  son  of  Antipater,  an  Idu- 
Tuean,  and  he  was  the  Herod  who  was  king  at  the  birth  of  Christ, 
— the  Herod  who  killed  his  own  wife,  the  beautiful  Mariamne, 
without  cause,  and  the  Herod  who  rebuilt  the  temple — the  old 
building  being  taken  down  in  parts  as  the  new  one  was  raised. 
This  temple  was  destined  to  be  more  honoured  than  ever  temple 
had  been  before.     It  T^as  very  beautiful :  it  p^sood  on  Mount  Zion, 


THE    TEMPLE.  83 


tLe  open  courts  around  it  paved  with  inlaid  marbles,  tlie  roof  of 
carved  cedar  covered  Tvitli  gold,  supported  by  162  columns  of 
white  marble.  One  of  its  ten  gates  was  called  'Hhe  beautiful 
gate/'  which  was  about  thirty  yards  high,  made  of  pure  brass  : 
over  this  gate  hung  a  golden  vine,  to  which  the  worshippers  were 
continually  adding  a  golden  leaf  or  a  golden  grape.  The  roof  was 
studded  with  golden  spikes^  to  prevent  birds  from  settling  upon 
it.  When  the  sun  shone  upon  this  pile  of  snowy  marble,  it 
must  indeed  have  been  gorgeous. 

The  ceremonial  service  of  this  temple  was,  just  previous  to  the 
coming  of  Christ,  carried  out  with  regularity  and  splendour.  The 
synagogues,  also,  or  houses  appointed  for  prayer  and  the  reading 
of  the  Law,  by  Ezra,  were  scattered  thickly  all  over  the  land. 

The  whole  of  the  sacred  writings  were  divided  with  reference 
to  the  synagogue  service,  so  that  there  might  be  a  portion  for 
every  Sabbath.  At  first,  it  is  said,  the  Law  only  was  read ;  but 
that  being  forbidden  by  the  tyrant  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  por- 
tions of  the  Prophets  were  read  instead,  until  the  people,  being 
released  from  his  tyranny,  restored  the  reading  of  the  Law,  and 
continued  that  of  the  Prophets.* 

At  the  time  of  Christ,  there  were  more  than  400  synagogues 
in  Jerusalem  alone.  There  were  in  every  synagogue  some  paid 
ministers,  called,  in  the  New  Testament,  '^  rulers  of  the  syna- 
gogue,^' who  seem  to  have  dealt  out  judgment  for  offences  against 
religion  and  morals.  Hence  we  hear  that  the  apostles  were  to 
be  "  beaten  in  the  synagogue,"  and  ^^  scourged  in  the  synagogue." 
Matt.  X.  17 ;  Mark  xiii.  9. 

Now  let  us  look  at  these  rulers  of  the  synagogue.  They  were 
Pharisees — men  who  pretended  to  revere  Moses,  and  to  live  by 
his  rules,  who  delighted  to  dwell  on  the  pomp  and  splendour  of 
their  ancient  ordinances,  and  the  glory  of  their  Law,  hut  vjJio  tooh 
flie  liberty  of  adding  to  it  very  much. 

Josephus  says,  "  The  Pharisees  have  delivered  to  the  people 
many  observances  by  succession  from  their  fathers,  (^.  e.  handed 


*  Sgiith's  "  Hebrew  People." 


84  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


down  from  father  to  son)  which  are  not  written  in  the  Law  of 
Moses/'' 

The  Pharisees  set  np  a  claim  to  be  more  wise  and  holy  than 
the  Sadducees,  who  said,  "  Let  us  eat  and  drink,  for  to-morrow 
we  die.''  The  Sadducees  did  not  add  to  the  Bible,  but  they  took 
from  it  all  hut  the  five  books  of  Moses ;  and  even  these  they 
would  not  believe,  if  they  could  not  understand  them.  The  Sad- 
ducees were  like  our  modern  infidels,  while  the  papists  resemble 
the  Pharisees.  There  was  another  sect,  called  the  Essenes,  who 
were  so  disgusted  with  both  parties,  that  they  forsook  the  syna- 
gogues and  the  cities,  and  looking  upon  the  body  as  the  prison  of 
the  soul,  retired  to  solitude  and  hardship,  as  the  monks  did  in 
after-time.  They  refused  to  marry,  lived  on  vegetables,  wore  a 
peculiar  dress,  and  observed  almost  perpetual  silence. 

We  must  describe  to  you  a  few  of  the  additions  made  by  the 
Pharisees  to  the  Law  of  God. 

Certain  learned  persons  in  the  days  of  the  Maccabees  had 
written  books,  called  "  Targums,"  signifying  inteiyretation. 
Onkelos,  the  ancestor  of  Gamaliel,  Paul's  instructor,  had  written 
one  targum ;  and  a  rabbi,  named  Jonathan,  had  written  another. 
We  will  show  you  how  Rabbi  Jonathan  had  altered  the  sense  in 
expounding  the  53d  chapter  of  Isaiah — 

Isaiah  liii.  Jonathan's  Targum. 

7  He  was  oppressed  and  he  was  af-  7  He  has  prajed,  he  has  been  heard; 
flieted;  yet  he  opened  not  his  mouth  :  and  before  he.  opened  his  mouth  he 
he  is  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaugh-  was  accepted.  The  strong  of  the  pee- 
ler, and  as  a  sheep  before  her  shearers  pie  he  shall  deliver  as  a  lamb  for  a 
is  dumb,  so  he  opened  not  his  mouth.       sacrifice,  and  as  a  sheep  that  is  silent 

before  the  shearer ;  and  there  shall 
be  none  who  shall  open  his  mouth  in 
his  presence,  and  speak  a  word. 

8  He  was  taken  from  prison  and  8  From  chastisements  and  reveng- 
from  judgment :  and  who  shall  declare  ings  he  shall  gather  our  captivity :  and 
his  generation  ?  for  he  was  cut  off  out  the  wonderful  things  that  shall  be  done 
cf  the  land  of  the  living ;  for  the  trans-  for  us  in  his  days,  who  shall  be  able  to 
gression  of  my  people  was  he  stricken,     recite?     For  he  shall  take  away  the 

dominion  of  the  nations  from  the  land 
of  Israel;  the  sins  which  my  people 
have  committed,  even  upon  them  shall 
they  come. 


THE    TARGUMS.  85 


The  53d  chapter  of  Isaiah  contains  a  minute  and  perfect  pro- 
phecy of  the  coming  of  our  Lord  in  his  humility.  This  kind  of 
coming,  the  eyes  of  the  Jewish  teachers  were  not  in  the  least 
degree  open  to  perceive.  They  expected  a  mighty  deliverer  and 
conqueror,  and  were  totally  unprepared  to  acknowledge  their 
Messiah  in  the  helpless  babe  of  Bethlehem. 

As  they  themselves  believed,  so  they  taught  the  people.  Jesus 
called  them,  when  he  came,  ''  blind  leaders  of  the  blind. '^ 
Among  these,  however,  there  seem  to  have  been  a  few  who,  as 
Malachi  says,  ^'  spake  often  one  to  another,^^  and  who  were,  like^ 
Zacharias  and  Elisabeth,  "  righteous  before  Grod,  and  walking  in 
all  the  ordinances  of  the  Lord  blameless. ""  These /ew?  must  have 
rejected  the  traditions  of  the  Pharisees,  and  must  secretly  and 
devoutly  have  studied  the  sacred  wiitings  themselves.  They 
were  "  waiting  for  the  consolation,"  and  ''  looking  for  the  re- 
demption of  Israel.'^ 

The  Pharisees  were  making  "  the  word  of  God  of  none  effect 
by  their  tradition. '^  This,  again,  is  our  Saviour's  own  testimony 
concerning  them.  They  were  no  longer  the  Church  of  the  Book. 
The  Book  itself  remained  pure  and  perfect  as  it  always  had  been ; 
but  these  men  declared  that  the  word  of  God  was  divided  into  two 
parts — the  written  and  the  unwritten.  Both  parts,  they  said, 
were  given  to  Moses  on  Mount  Sinai;  but  he  committed  the 
unwritten  by  word  of  mouth  to  Joshua  and  the  seventy  elders, 
who  again  committed  it  to  the  rabbins,  who  were  to  deliver  it  to  the 
people.  These  were  some  of  their  sayings  :  "  The  Scriptures  are 
water,  but  the  traditions  are  wine.'^  "  The  words  of  the  scribes 
are  lovely  above  the  words  of  the  Law."  "  Some  of  the  words 
of  the  Law  are  weighty,  but  the  traditions  are  all  weighty." 

This  was  the  way  in  which  they  expounded  the  fourth  com- 
fnandment  ]  viz.  To  do  no  work  on  the  Sabbath-day.  If  a  loaf 
were  to  be  carried  on  that  day  by  a  single  person,  he  would  be 
guilty ;  ])ut  if  two  persons  carried  it  together,  both  were  innocent 
God  had  said,  that  he  who  made  a  vow  should  keep  it.  Num 
xx.x.  2.  Tradition  said,  if  he  were  weary  of  the  vow,  he  might 
go  to  a  wise  man,  and  be  absolved  from  it. 

8 


S6  THE  BOOK   AND   ITS   STORY. 


And  the  people  soon  learried  to  set  the  authority  of  their  rab- 
bins above  the  authority  of  Scripture.  It  was  said  that  all 
instructions  from  the  Law  were  to  be  finished  when  a  boy  was  ten 
years  old,  and  the  remainder  of  his  education  must  be  from  the 
traditions.  The  Jews  of  the  present  day,  it  is  said,  withdraw 
their  children  from  the  Bible  at  the  age  of  seven  or  eight ',  i.  e. 
as  soon  as  the  b3y's  mind  is  capable  of  understanding  the  Talmud. 

"  Prevent  your  children,"  said  Rabbi  Eliezer,  ''  from  reading 
the  word  of  Grod  too  much,  lest  they  should  be  carried  away  with 
it.'"  Alas  !  alas  !  that  such  should  be  the  sayings  of  Israel,  the 
chosen  people  !  Thus  they  became  almost  as  ignorant  of  Grod 
and  of  his  truth  as  were  the  pagans  around  them — all,  excepting 
the  small  remnant  kept  faithful  by  the  grace  of  God,  who  neither 
added  to  the  word  nor  took  away  from  it,  and  who  were,  doubt- 
less, saying  in  their  hearts,  "  It  is  time  for  thee,  Lord,  to  work, 
for  they  have  made  void  thy  Law,"  when  Simeon  and  Anna 
welcomed  the  Holy  One  once  more  to  his  temple,  and  by  the 
revelation  of  the  Holy  Ghost  proclaimed  Him  as  a  '^  light 
to  lighten  the  Gentiles,"  as  well  as  ^'  the  glory  of  his  people 
Israel." 


At  the  time  of  the  birth  of  our  Lord,  the  whole  Roman  woild 
was  at  peace,  and  the  temple  of  Janus  shut.  No  remarkable 
event  attracts  our  attention  to  any  other  part  of  the  earth  at  the 
time  when  John  the  Baptist  came  crying  in  the  wilderness  of 
Judea,  ''Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make  his  paths 
straight." 

John  was  a  noble  young  Jew,  of  about  thirty  years  of  age, 
who  appeared  in  the  deserts.  We  may  imagine  him  in  his  rough 
raiment  of  camel's  hair,  as  of  striking  and  powerful  presencef 
with  unshorn  black  locks  and  beard,  and  the  flashing  dark  eye 
of  his  nation,  crying,  ''  Repent  ye ;  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
is  at  hand."  He  wrought  no  miracles,  displayed  no  supernatural 
power,  yet  seemed  a  most  unearthly  being,  raised  up  by  God  for 
the  time,  and  in  harmony  with  the  place. 


JOHN   THE   BAPTIST.  87 


olemiine  and  deep  piety  always  impressed  the  confmon  people, 
ind  the  words  of  John  set  thousands  of  consciences  to  work  that 
before  were  slumbering.  Slothful,  luxurious  Jerusalem,  sleeping 
in  its  sins,  arose  in  one  day,  and  went  out  to  be  baptized  of  John 
in  the  Jordan. 

God  might  have  sent  his  prophet  into  the  city,  but  he  was  the 
rain  for  the  desert.     His  ministry  had  all  its  influence  there. 

"  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,"  said  he ;  "  make  hia 
paths  straight."  The  Jehovah  of  Sinai,  the  God  who  made  the 
worlds,  was  coming  to  make  a  royal  progress ;  to  walk  through 
the  cities  and  villages  of  Judea;  not  as  one  of  the  silken  rabbins 
of  Jerusalem,  with  flowing  robes  and  haughty  air,  but  choosing 
rather  the  common  seamless  robe  of  a  carpenter,  woven  from  the 
top  throughout,  in  which  to  teach  the  people  the  Truth  of  which 
he  was  himself  the  author. 

On  the  slopes  of  that  long  line  of  mountains  which  run  down 
the  land  of  Palestine,  once  the  strongholds  of  the  mighty  Re- 
phaim,  were  now  gathered  crowds  thinking  of  their  sins.  They 
broke  away  from  their  customary  occupations  in  Jerusalem,  to 
throng  around  this  strange  preacher  of  the  desert,  where,  with 
eager  expectation  and  awakened  minds,  thousands  of  them  listened 
to  the  voice  of  him  who  cried  in  the  wilderness,  "  Repent  ye ; 
for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand."  It  seems  that  even  the 
hardened  conscience  of  King  Herod  himself  was  awakened  by 
the  preaching  of  John  :  ^'  Herod  feared  John,  knowing  that  he 
was  a  just  man  and  a  holy,  and  observed  him  ;  and  when  he 
heard  him,  he  did  many  things,  and  heard  him  gladly."  Mark 
vi.  20. 

Now  let  us  mark  the  great  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  approach- 
ing the  Jordan,  and  see  what  a  fierce  reception  the?/  met  with  : 
"  Oh,  generation  of  vipers  !  who  hath  warned  you  to  flee  from 
the  wrath  to  come  ?"  They  talked  about  Abraham  being  tlieir 
father,  but  were  as  unlike  Abraham  as  possible. 

The  gi'eat  cedars  of  Judaism  ! — they  ^'fe^e  cut  down,  being  lull 
of  all  manner  of  us  clean  birds  ;  and  great  ivas  the  fall  of  them 
Their  boughs  were  all  scattered  about  the  world,  as  they  are  ta 


88  THE  BOOK   AND   ITS   STORY. 


this  day  :  the  axe  of  the  Lord  was  laid  to  their  root,  for  they  had 
Dot  given  glory  to  the  King  of  kings,  l)ut  had  perverted  his  most 
Holy  Word. 

Then,  behold  the  humility  of  John  the  Baptist  !  "  There 
Cometh  one  mightier  than  I,  whose  shoe's  latchet  I  am  not  wor- 
thy to  unloose."  The  ministry  of  the  forerunner  John  was 
rejected  by  the  proud  Pharisees,  and  they  afterward  denied  the 
Son  of  God  himself,  and  put  him  to  an  open  shame. 

So  the  Lord  came  to  his  own,  and  his  own  received  him  not; 
but  he  was  a  light  to  ligliten  the  Gentiles,  and  truly  their  dark- 
ness needed  it :  they  worked  the  works  of  darkness,  and  were  in 
the  power  of  the  devil,  who  led  them  captive  at  his  will,  and  who 
dared  to  say  to  the  Saviour  himself,  that  his  were  '-  all  the  king- 
doms of  the  world  and  the  glory  of  them." 

Jesus  related  a  parable,  (Matt,  xii.  29,)  showing  in  what  sense 
it  was  so.  He  declared  himself  as  come  to  take  possession  of  a 
house,  and  of  the  things  in  it :  this  house  was  the  world,  and  the 
things  in  it  were  the  souls  of  men. 

Jesus  came  to  rescue  these  precious  souls  from  Satan's  power. 
He  compares  Satan  to  the  strong  man  who  was  in  the  house,  and 
who  tried  to  prevent  the  Saviour  from  entering  in.  He  said,  he 
must  first  bind  the  strong  man,  and  then  he  would  spoil  his  goods. 

This  he  came  down  to  earth  to  do,  by  suffering  death  in  his 
mortal  body ;  and  he  is  still  engaged  in  releasing  captives  day  by 
day  from  the  power  of  Satan ;  and  the  day  shall  come  when  he 
shall  lay  hold  on  that  "  old  serpent  the  devil,"  and  bind  him  a 
thousand  years,  (see  Rev.  xx.  2,)  and  then  indeed  ^'he  shall  spoil 
his  goods."* 


But  we  have  still  the  tale  of  1800  years  to  tell,  and  must  hasten 
onward,  especially  with  the  Story  of  the  Book. 

The  life  and  actions  of  our  Lord  and  of  his  apostles  are,  perhaps, 
better  known  by  the  young  than  any  other  parts  of  the  Bible. 


*  "  Light  in  the  D-welling. 


THE   NE'\V    TESTAMENT.  89 


After  the  crucifixion  and  ascension  of  the  Redeemer  into 
heaTen,  the  four  evangelists,  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  and  John, 
inspired  men,  as  were  the  prophets  of  old,  committed  to  writing 
those  particulars  which  the  Holy  Ghost  saw  fit  should  be  preserved, 
concerning  the  ministry  of  their  Master,  for  our  benefit.  Luke 
then  recorded  their  own  acts  and  missionary  travels.  Paul,  the 
converted  persecutor,  and  attendant  at  the  first  martyrdom  of  a 
Christian,  (that  of  Stephen,)  wrote  fourteen  letters  to  the  churches 
which  he  had  founded,  while  James,  Peter,  Jude,  and  John  com- 
pleted the  New  Testament  canon. 

Some  of  these  books  are  called  by  Paul  the  New  Testament, 
(see  2  Cor.  iii.  6,)  while  he  refers  to  the  Mosaic  dispensation  as 
the  Old  Testament. 

The  different  churches  formed  by  the  apostles  in  the  first  cen- 
tury received  these  books  by  degrees,  and  each  church  gradually 
obtained  them  all.  Among  the  various  opinions  entertained  con- 
cerning the  person  who  finally  collected  them  together,  the  most 
natural  seems  to  be,  that  this  was  done  by  the  Apostle  John, 
whose  life  was  long  preserved  by  Grod  for  the  comfort  of  the 
church.  He  was  nearly  one  hundred  years  old  when  he  died,  and 
was  himself  inspired  to  utter  the  magnificent  prophecies  of  the 
last  portion  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures. 

When  he  was  very  old,  and  unable  to  say  much  in  the  Christian 
assemblies,  ''  Children,  love  one  another,"  was  his  constantly-re- 
peated exhortation.  Being  asked  why  he  only  told  them  one 
thing,  he  answered  that  nothing  else  was  needed. 

Oh  that  the  Christian  Church  had  always  remembered  this ! — 
the  last  word  of  the  last  apostle  repeating  the  words  of  his  Master, 
*^  As  I  have  loved  you,  that  ye  also  love  one  another,"  (John  xiii. 
34 ;)  and  the  words  of  his  brother  Paul,  ''  Love  is  the  fulfilling 
of  the  law."     Rom.  xiii.  10. 

On  the  acts  and  revelations  of  this  first  century,  as  it  is  called, 
(for  at  the  coming  of  Christ  the  age  of  the  world  began  again,) 
it  has  pleased  God  to  fix  the  eye  of  all  true  believers  ever  since. 
The  deeds  and  sayings  of  all  after-centuries  derive  their  importanco 
only  from  their  connection  with  the  Jirst,  because  that  alone  w:\a 

8«- 


90  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


the  century  in  which  more  mighty  pillars  of  miracle  and  prophecy 
were  reared  to  support  the  Church  of  Christ,  than  even  those 
which  lent  their  Divine  strength  to  the  Church  of  the  wilderness, 
and  of  the  promised  land. 

^^  The  Son  of  God  was  manifested ;  that  he  might  destroy  the 
works  of  the  devil."  1  John  iii.  8.  The  commission  he  gave  to 
his  apostles  was  to  follow  in  his  steps.  They  were  to  preach  the 
gospel ;  and  he  also  gave  them  power  to  heal  the  sick,  to  raise 
the  dead,  and  to  cast  out  devils,  in  his  name,  as  a  witness  to  the 
truth  they  preached. 

These  men,  gifted  with  more  than  human  power,  were  to  be  the 
fathers  of  the  Church  of  the  New  Testament.  Afterward  he 
appointed  other  seventy  also,  (Luke  x.  1,)  and  to  them  gave  the 
same  miraculous  gifts.  Their  number  was  the  same  as  that  of 
the  elders  among  the  Jews,  who  went  up  with  Moses  to  the  mount. 

It  is  fairly  to  be  concluded,  that  many  who  had  been  converted 
by  the  preaching  of  John  in  the  wilderness,  became  afterward  the 
disciples  of  his  Divine  Master.  The  first  church  in  Jerusalem  is 
mentioned  as  composed  of  120  members,  (Acts  i.  15 ;)  and  we 
afterward  hear  that  our  Lord  was  seen  after  his  resurrection  by 
above  five  hundred  brethren  at  once,  (1  Cor.  xv.  6 ;)  but  as  the 
greater  number  of  these  were  Jewish  converts,  they  probably 
shared  in  the  expectations  of  their  nation,  and  had  received  the 
Messiah,  expecting  him  as  a  glorious  king  and  temporal  deliverer. 
Acts  i.  6. 

His  revelation  of  himself  and  his  designs,  even  to  those  chosen 
few,  was  very  gradual, — '^  as  they  could  receive  it."  By  very 
few,  at  first,  was  he  really  believed  to  be  the  Son  of  God.  John 
the  Baptist  was  one  of  the  few  who  witnessed  to  this,  and 
Nathanael,  and  afterward  Peter,  to  whom  his  Master  answered, 
'^  Flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  this  unto  thee,  but  my  Father 
which  is  in  heaven."    Matt.  xvi.  17. 

The  Lord  was  about  to  commit  the  treasure  of  Divine  revelation 
(no  more  to  one  earthly  nation,  who  had  proved  unfaithful  to  its 
precepts,  even  while  they  guarded  it  sacredly  down  fifteen  centu- 
ries to  bear  witness  against  themselves,  but)  into  the  care  of  ^^a 


FULFILMENT    OF   PREDICTIONS.  91 


Dody/^  composed  of  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and  peoples,  and 
tongues, — by  them  to  be  published  throughout  all  the  world. 

In  the  hour  when  he  partook  of  his  last  supper  with  his  disci- 
ples, and  dispensed  to  them  the  bread,  which  was  the  image  of  his 
body  to  be  broken  for  them  (1  Cor.  xi.  24,)  and  the  wine,  which 
was  the  image  of  his  blood  shed  for  the  remission  of  their  sins, 
(Matt.  xxvi.  28,)  he  drew  the  infant  church  into  the  nearest  and 
tenderest  communion  with  himself;  he  told  them,  that  as  the 
world  had  hated  him,  so  it  would  hate  them;  that  the  servant 
was  not  greater  than  his  lord ;  therefore,  that  the  time  would  come, 
when  whosoever  killed  them  would  think  that  they  did  God  ser- 
vice; and  that  if  any  man  would  come  after  him,  he  must  deny 
himself,  and  take  vj)  Jus  a^oss  and  follow  him,  (see  John, 
xiii.  and  xvi.)  This  oneness  in  suffering  with  him  was  to 
prepare  them  for  being  one  with  him  in  his  glory. 

These  predictions  of  the  Saviour  were,  according  to  church  his- 
tory, literally  fulfilled  to  all  who  listened  to  them.  In  the  first 
onset  of  danger,  '^  they  all  forsook  him  and  fled," — they  could 
not  (as  he  said  to  Peter)  follow  him  then,  "  but  they  did  follow 
him  afterward.' ' 

Peter  himself  was  crucified  by  Nero,  at  Home ; 

Andrew,  in  Achaia; 

James  was  beheaded  by  Herod  Agrippa ; 

Philip  suffered  martyrdom  in  Phrygia ; 

Bartholomew,  in  Armenia; 

Thomas,  called  Didymus,  was  put  to  death,  by  stoning,  in  India; 

Matthew  suffered  death  in  Ethiopia ; 

James  the  Just  was  murdered  at  Jerusalem ; 

Jude,  by  the  Magi,  in  Persia; 

Simon  Zelot.es,  at  Jerusalem ;  and 

John,  after  being  preserved  unhurt,  by  miracle,  in  a  caldron  of 
boiling  oil,  appears  to  have  been  the  only  one  who  died  a  natural 
death,  at  an  advanced  age,  (see  John  xxi.  22.) 

The  other  inspired  writers  of  the  New  Testament — 

Mark,  dying  of  his  wounds  at  xilexandria, 

Luke,  hanged  on  a  tree  in  Greece,  and 


92  THE  BOOK  AND   ITS   STORY. 


Paul,  beheaded  by  Nero,  in  bis  anger  at  the  conversion  of  his 
favourite  cupbearer, — without  exception,  sealed  their  testimony 
with  their  blood;  and,  ere  they  did  so,  ^'were,''  as  St.  Paul  tells 
us,  *' counted  the  offscouring  of  all  things;"  "troubled  on  every 
side;"  "persecuted,  but  not  forsaken;  cast  down,  but  not  de- 
stroyed;" "always  bearing  about  in  the  body  the  dying  of  the 
Lord  Jesus ;"  "always  delivered  unto  death  for  Jesus'  sake;  beaten, 
stoned,  in  hunger  and  thirst,  in  cold  and  nakedness,  in  stripes 
above  measure,  in  prisons  frequent,  in  deaths  oft.''  See  1  Cor. 
iv.  and  2  Cor.  iv.  and  xi. — Nothing  could  have  supported  them 
steadfast  under  these  trials,  but  that  rich  effusion  of  the  Spirit, 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  which  had  caused  them  to  perceive 
fully,  that  the  same  Jesus  which  was  cnicified  was  both  Lord 
and  Christ.  Paul  received  this  knowledge  afterward,  by  a  special 
revelation  to  himself,  "and  straightway  preached  Jesus  in  the 
synagogues  that  he  is  the  Son  of  God." 

Such  was  the  history  of  the  apostles.  In  the  next  chapter  we 
shall  look  for  some  of  their  successors. 

The  New  Testament  comes  down  to  us  through  a  line  of 
crowned  heads, — but  their  crown  was  the  crown  of  martyrdom. 

The  first  pagan  persecution  against  the  Christians  was  raised 

by  the  Emperor  Nero,  about  thirty  years  after  the  crucifixion. 

This  is  mentioned  by  the  great  Eoman  historian,  Tacitus.     He 

says,  that  "Rome  being  set  on  fire,  Nero  declared  it  was  the  work 

of  the  Christians,  and  put  great  numbers  of  them  to  death,  after 

frightful  tortures."     Other  heathen  writers  mention  the  Chris- 

tians  as  being  "punished  with  the  troublesome  coat,"  which  was 

made  like  a  sack,  of  coarse  cloth,  besmeared  with  pitch,  wax,  and 

sulphur;  and,  being  dressed  in  this  coat,  they  were  hung  by  their 

(»,hins  on  sharp  stakes  fixed  in  the  ground,  and  then  burnt — 

"  In  that  pitch'd  shirt,  in  which  such  crowds  expire, 
Chain'd  to  the  bloody  stake,  and  wrapp'd  in  fire." 

Nero  had  them  burnt  at  midnight,  "for  torches,"  as  he  said,  "to 
the  city."  This  persecution  lasted  for  three  or  four  years,  and 
spread  through  the  Roman  empire.     An  inscription  dug  up  in 


PAGAN   PERSECUTIONS.  93 


Spain  shows  that  the  gospel  had  already  penetrated  that  country, 
and  that  the  church  there  had  her  martyrs. 

In  the  reign  of  Nero,  Suetonius  was  ser  t  into  Britain,  and  at- 
tacked the  Druids  in  their  strongholds  in  Mona.  He  caused 
many  of  them  to  be  burnt  in  the  fires  they  had  prepared  for  their 
expected  captives,  and  destroyed  their  groves  and  altars.  St. 
Paul  was  sent  to  Rome,  according  to  Eusebius,  in  the  second 
year  of  Nero,  that  is  A.  D.  56,  and  he  stayed  there,  according  to 
Luke,  two  years.  The  British  prince  Caractacus,  and  his  father 
Bran,  were  sent  to  Borne  in  the  year  51,  and  stayed  there,  as 
hostages,  for  seven  years.  It  is  said,  in  the  Welsh  ^'triads,'' 
that  Bran  was  the  first  who  brought  the  Christian  faith  to  the 
Cymry,  or  Welsh.  He  had,  therefore,  in  all  probability,  received 
it  from  Paul  at  Borne  :  thus  early  came  the  pure  gospel  to  Wales. 
It  is  said  that  Bran  brought  back  with  him  three  Christian 
teachers, — Illtid,  an  Israelite;  Cyndaf;  and  Arwystli,  which  is 
Welsh  for  Aristobulus,  to  whom  Paul  sends  salutation.  Bom. 
xvi.  10. 

Tacitus  likewise  informs  us  that  London  at  this  time  contained 
many  merchants  and  much  merchandise. 

How  unlike  was  the  London  of  which  he  speaks  to  our  modern 
London  !  Its  very  pathways  were  difierent;  for  traces  of  Boman 
floors  and  highways  are  found  twenty  feet  below  Our  present 
streets.  There  is  little  doubt  that  the  Bomans  brought  in  their 
train,  from  the  large  family  of  Christian  brethren  in  Borne,  some 
manuscripts  of  the  Gospels,  some  teachers  of  the  Story  of  Peace 
among  those  men  of  war;  and  that  there  would  be  hymns  sung 
to  Jesus  Christ  in  some  corner  of  the  old  Boman  town.  Christi- 
anit}--,  through  the  labours  of  the  apostles,  had  taken  deep  hold 
of  the  people  in  the  south  of  Europe;  and  many  flourishing 
churches  were,  as  we  know,  established  in  Greece. 

A  person  asked  Apollo  how  ho  should  cause  his  wife  to  re- 
linquish Christianity.  ''It  is  easier,  perhaps,"  replied  the  oracle, 
'Ho  write  on  water,  or  to  fly  into  the  air,  than  to  reclaim  her. 
Leave  her  alone  in  her  folly,  to  hymn  in  a  faint,  mournful  voice, 


94  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


the  praises  of  tlie  dead  God;  "who  publicly  suffered  death  from 
judges  of  singular  wisdom." 

We  must  conclude  with  a  brief  notice  of  the  dreadful  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem  by  Titus,  A.  D.  70.  The  Jews  having  refused 
the  usual  tribute  to  the  Romans,  he  came  to  enforce  it.  The 
city  and  temple  were  burnt,  and  the  ground  ploughed  up,  for  the 
purpose  of  obtaining  the  precious  things  buried  in  the  rubbish. 
The  wicked  Jews  had  said,  '^His  blood  be  on  us  and  on  our  chil- 
dren," and  it  ivas  so.  Never  was  destruction  of  any  city  or  people 
so  temble.  A  hundred  thousand  were  sold  as  slaves  to  the 
neighbouring  nations;  multitudes  were  transported  to  the  mines 
in  Egypt;  and  more  than  a  million  perished  by  famine  and  sword, 
by  pestilence  and  crucifixion.  Only  those  among  the  Jews  who 
were  believers  in  Christ  were  prepared  for  this  final  breaking  up 
of  their  national  glory  and  the  visible  splendours  of  their  temple 
— ^having  learned  that  the  priesthood  of  Christ  took  the  place  of 
all  other  priesthoods,  and  rendered  utterly  useless  any  further 
ceremonies  or  sacrifices  at  Jerusalem. 

They  had  no  ^'continuing  city,"  but  they  sought  one  to  come. 
The  epistle  of  Paul  to  these  Hebrews  is  full  oZ  consolation,  espe- 
cially suited  to  their  sorrowful  hearts. 

In  the  year  81,  occurred  the  Domitian  persecution,  during 
which  Christianity  appears  to  have  been  carried  to  Scotland,  by 
some  of  the  disciples  of  the  Apostle  John.  These  persecutions, 
of  which  there  are  said  to  have  been  ten,  were  always  the-  means 
of  scattering  still  more  widely  the  seed  of  the  word.  AVherever 
Christians  were  driven,  they  were  sure  to  take  some  portions  of 
their  Scriptures  with  them.  No  historian,  like  Tacitus,  cele- 
brated their  heroic  sacrifices  and  secret  escapes.  Heroes  and 
bcatesmen  have  their  records  here;  the  saints,  on  high. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Gradual  Circulation  of  the  Ne-jv  Testament — Earliest  Heresies — UnincpireJ 
Teachers — Progress  of  the  Gospel — The  Book  becomes  the  Guide — Eight 
more  Pagan  Persecutions — Particulars  of  these — Dioclesian's  Medals — Reign 
of  Constantine,  his  mistaken  Zeal — The  Rise  of  Monasteries — Progress  of  the 
Papacy — Alaric — Versions  of  Scripture — The  Alexandrine  Version — First 
Protests — Vigilantius — Nestorius — The  Nestorian  Christians — The  Armenian 
Church — The  Paulicians — The  Abyssinian  Church — The  British  Church  in 
Wales,  in  Scotland,  in  Ireland — Succat — Columba — lona. 

The  first  century,  as  we  know,  stands  alone  in  its  enjoyment, 
for  three  years  and  a  half,  of  the  public  ministry  of  him  '^who 
spake  as  never  man  spake,''  and  was  himself  the  Living  Word. 

The  first  century  was  also  that  in  which  the  persons  lived  who 
were  inspired  to  record  his  sayings;  and  the  living  teaching  of 
inspired  persons  must  have  been  very  precious;  but  it  could  not 
have  been  continual.  The  apostles  were  all  missionaries.  They 
went  forth  into  all  the  world  to  plant  churches,  and  seldom  stayed 
long  in  one  place.  The  Gospels  and  Epistles  were  only  in  course 
of  writing, — not  written,  and  gathered  together, — therefore  very 
few  churches  and  still  fewer  individuals  were  in  possession  of 
more  than  separate  manuscripts,  and  not  even  of  these  till  the 
latter  half  of  the  century. 

The  Gospels  of  Matthew,  Mark,  and  Luke,  were  not  written, 
as  Mr.  Home  thinks,  till  about  the  time  of  Nero's  persecution, 
A.  D.  62,  and  these,  with  the  inspired  Epistles  or  letters  to  the 
already  founded  churches,  became  eminently  necessary  to  check 
the  errors  and  heresies  which,  even  then,  as  the  apostles  them- 
selves state,  had  arisen  in  them. 

Take,  for  instance,  the  church  at  Corinth,  consisting  of  many 
Jews,  but  more  Gentiles  :  their  danger,  therefore,  sometimes  arose 
from  Jewish  prejudice,  sometimes  from  heathen  wickedness;  for 

95 


96  THE  BOOK  AND  ITS  STORY. 


it  was  out  of  these  two  classes  that  the  Christian  converts  were 
purified  and  separated.  This  church  had  eminent  preachers  after 
Paul  left,  for  here  ^'  Paul  planted  and  ApoUos  watered ;"  but, 
nevertheless,  false  teachers  soon  afterward  crept  in,  some  desiring 
to  continue  the  Jewish  ceremonies,  others  not  leading  a  pure  and 
holy  life. 

In  his  Epistle  to  the  church  of  Ephesus,  he  also  speaks  of 
"  grievous  wolves  entering  in  among  them,  not  sparing  the  flock;" 
in  the  Epistle  to  Timothy — of  "  seducing  spirits,  forbidding  to 
marry,  and  commanding  to  abstain  from  meats  ,'^  while,  in  the 
second  Epistle  to  the  Thessalonians,  chap,  ii.,  he  draws  a  full- 
length  portrait  of  that  ^'  mystery  of  iniquity,"  as  he  calls  it, 
which  he  declares  was  beginning  to  work  then,  and  would  work 
on,  even  till  the  second  coming  of  the  Lord. 

As  the  inspired  letters  of  Paul  and  Peter  were  received,  and 
gradually  circulated  among  the  churches,  the  faithful  obtained  a 
standing  rule  whereby  they  might  be  warned  from  these  false 
teachers  and  growing  evils.  Paul  desires  that  his  Epistles  to 
the  Thessalonians  may  be  ^^  read  to  all  the  holy  brethren ;"  and 
when  he  wrote  to  the  Colossians,  he  begged  they  would  send  the 
letter  to  the  Laodiceans  :  but  as,  in  those  ages,  books  were  all 
written  at  the  expense  of  great  time  and  labour,  it  is  probable 
that  copies  of  the  whole  Scriptures  were  still  a  rare  treasure,  and 
that  the  greatest  dependence  was  placed  on  the  opinion  of  bishops 
and  rulers  in  the  several  congregations,  in  all  matters  of  diffi- 
culty. 

When  the  apostles  were  all  dead,  we  have  no  ground  for  sup- 
posing that  even  those  who  had  conversed  the  most  intimately 
with  them,  had  received  of  their  inspiration  or  miraculous  gifts. 
Ignatius,  bishop  of  Antioch,  Polycarp,  bishop  of  Smyrna, 
Irenseus,  bishop  of  Lyons,  were  holy  men  living  in  the  second 
century.  The  two  former  had  conversed  freely  with  the  apostles, 
and  they  both  were  martyrs  for  the  Christian  faith.  Some  of 
their  writings  have  been  preserved,  but  they  are  easily  distin- 
guished from  the  inspired  writings. 

One  of  the  sayings  of  Ignatius,  however,  (who  was  thrown  to 


EARLIEST    HERESIES.  97 


wild  beasts,  at  Rome,  A.  D.  107,)  is  especially  worthy  to  be  re- 
membered— "  that  in  order  to  understand  the  will  of  God,  he 
fled  to  the  Gospels,  which  he  believed  not  less  than  if  Christ  in 
the  flesh  had  been  speaking  to  him ;  and  to  the  writings  of  the 
apostles,  whom  he  esteemed  as  the  presbytery  of  the  whole 
church." 

The  Greek  translation  of  the  Old  Testament  seems  to  have 
been  possessed  by  every  church  which  the  apostles  founded  in 
the  first  century ;  and  it  is  well  known,  that  before  the  middle 
of  the  second  century,  the  New  Testament,  also,  was  not  only 
collected  into  a  volume,  but  was  read  in  every  Christian  society 
as  a  rule  of  faith  and  manners.  Hence,  before  its  close,  Tertul- 
lian,  the  presbyter  of  Carthage,  could  say  of  himself  and  his  fel- 
low-Christians "  We  are  but  of  yesterday,  and  yet  we  fill  all  that 
is  called  yours — your  cities,  islands,  forts,  towns,  assemblies, 
camps,  palaces,  senate,  court,"  and  this,  in  spite  of  two  more 
barbarous  pagan  persecutions,  under  Trajan  and  under  Marcus 
Antoninus.  Lyons,  in  France,  which  is  said  to  have  received 
the  gospel  through  the  merchants  of  Smyrna,  especially  shared 
in  the  fourth  persecution ;  and  the  sustaining  power  of  God  to 
her  martyrs  in  their  sufi'erings  seems  to  have  been  little  less  than 
in  the  times  of  the  apostles  themselves. 

Indeed,  these  persecutions  from  the  pagans  Were  blessings  to 
the  Christians  :  their  Master  had  said  to  them,  "  Blessed  are  ye 
when  men  shall  revile  you  and  persecute  you,  and  shall  say  all 
manner  of  evil  against  you  falsely  for  my  sake."  Matt.  v.  11. 
Like  Israel  in  Egypt,  of  old  time,  '^  the  more  they  were  afflicted, 
the  more  they  multiplied  and  grew,"  (Exod.  i.  12  ;)  the  more 
they  suffered,  the  more  they  were  driven  to  "  holdfast  the  faith- 
fid  word,"  and  also  to  "  love  one  another.''  It  was  only  in  de- 
parting from  these  two  grand  simple  principles  of  union,  in  per- 
mitting the  opinions  of  their  teachers  to  be  set  above  the  ''  faith- 
ful word,"  and  in  that  striving  ''  who  should  be  greatest,"  which 
was  not  ^'  in  honour  preferring  one  another,"  that  "  the  mystery 
of  iniquity,"  of  which  St.  Paul  had  prophesied,  arose  and  pros- 
pered. 


98  THE   BOOK   AND  ITS   STORY. 


In  all  this  they  were  "wJtliout  excuse  :"  for  when  the  Chris- 
tian church  had  received  the  written  Gospel,  she  was  to  be  judged 
by  it,  as  the  Jewish  church  of  old,  after  she  had  received  the 
Law.  She  was  to  be  the  Church  of  the  Book — the  pure  and 
perfect  Book  of  Inspired  Truth. 

The  earliest  heresies  arose  before  the  books  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment were  gathered  together ;  and  these  chiefly  concerned  the 
person  of  the  Saviour.  Some  enemies  denied  that  he  was  God^ 
and  others  denied  that  he  was  man — both  rejecting  his  sacrifice 
for  sin. 

''  Heresies"  at  first  meant  errors  contrary  to  the  teaching  of 
the  inspired  apostles  ;  but  when  the  teachers  of  the  church  were 
no  longer  inspued,  the  Book  became  the  unfailing  guide;  and 
the  real  meaning  of  ^' heresy'^  was,  from  that  time,  ''  error  con- 
trary to  the  faithful  word.^^ 

For  SOD  years  after  the  ascension  of  their  Lord  to  heaven,  the 
sufierings  of  the  people  of  God  arose  from  the  world,  which 
"  hated  them"  for  their  witness  against  its  sins  and  its  false 
gods ;  and  this  period  of  300  years  comprises  the  ten  pagan  per- 
secutions. 

Since  that  time,  their  sufierings  have  arisen  from  that  party 
among  themselves  who,  assuming  temporal  power  over  the  rest, 
made  "  heresy"  to  consist  in  "  error  contrary  to  the  voice  of  the 
church ;"  and  who,  alas !  in  all  ages  and  in  all  countries,  have 
often  perscuted  those  who  only  desired  to  "  hold  fast  the  faithful 
word.''^ 

We  must  tell  j'^ou  two  or  three  facts  concerning  the  pagan 
persecutions,  and  show  you,  meanwhile,  how  the  "mystery  of 
iniquity"  took  its  rise. 

The  fifth  persecution  was  in  203,  under  Severus.  ^ 

The  sixth  in  235,  under  Maximin. 

The  seventh,  a  most  destructive  one,  in  250,  under  Decius. 

The  eighth  in  257,  under  Valerian. 

The  ninth  in  274,  under  Aurelian. 

The  tenth  in  303,  under  Dioclesian, 


THE    CHILD-MARTYR — THE    SOLDIER^S    CHOICE.  99 


The  vast  number  of  those  who  suffered  for  Christ  uuder  these 
persecutions  has  never  been  reckoned  by  man ;  but  they  will  all 
take  rank  in  the  "  noble  army  of  martyrs''  who  will  attend  the 
King  in  his  glory.     We  can  speak  in  detail  of  but  one  or  two. 

In  the  ninth  persecution,  at  Cesarea,  in  Cappadocia,  a  child, 
named  Cyril,  showed  uncommon  fortitude :  neither  threats  nor 
blows  could  prevent  his  praying  to  Jesus  Christ  continually.  His 
father  turned  him  out  of  doors,  and  brought  him  before  the 
judge,  who  said,  "  My  child,  I  will  pardon  your  faults,  and  your 
father  shall  receive  you  again,  if  you  will  worship  Jupiter.'' 
''No,"  said  the  child;  "God  will  receive  me  :  I  am  not  sorry  I 
have  been  turned  out  of  our  house ;  I  shall  have  '  a  better  man- 
sion,' (the  dear  child  must  have  found  this  in  the  Book  :)  I  fear 
not  death  ;  it  will  introduce  me  to  a  better  life."  He  was  bound 
and  led  to  execution,  with  orders  to  bring  him  back,  if  the  sight 
of  the  fire  conquered  him.  *'  Your  fire  and  your  sword,"  said 
the  young  martyr,  ''are  naught  to  me.  I  go  to  a  better  house 
and  to  more  excellent  riches.  Despatch  me  presently,  that  I  may 
enjoy  them." 

Thus  he  went  to  his  death.  So  you  see  there  have  been  chil- 
dren in  the  noble  army  of  martyrs, — children  who  loved  the 
Book,  and  realized  its  true  riches. 

At  Cesarea,  in  Palestine,  a  brave  and  noble  soldier,  named 
Morinus,  was  a  Christian.  The  governor  of  the  city  called  upon 
him  to  own  if  his  faith  prevented  his  being  raised  to  the  ofl&ce  of 
centurion,  on  which  he  confessed  his  principles,  and  three  hours 
were  given  him  to  recant  them.  His  bishop,  Theoctenes,  took 
him  by  the  hand,  and  led  him  to  their  church,  showed  him  the 
sword  that  hung  by  his  side,  and  a  New  Testament  which  he 
took  from  his  vest.  Marinus  stretched  out  his  hand,  and  clasped 
the  Holy  Scriptures.  "Hold  fast,"  then  said  Theoctenes; 
"cleave  close  to  him  whom  you  have  chosen.  You  shall  be 
strengthened  by  him,  and  depart  in  peace."  After  three  hours 
he  was  beheaded,  manfully  confessing  the  faith  ot  Christ.* 


*  See  Miluer's  "  Church  History." 


TOO  THE   EOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


Thotse  who  worshipped  idols  used  to  put  cords  round  the  necka 
<)f  the  Christians,  and  drag  them  to  the  temples  to  sacrifice  to 
their  gods ;  and  when  they  would  not  do  this,  persecution  raged 
against  them  with  ceaseless  fury.  The  last  persecution,  under 
Dioclesian,  was  the  worst  of  all.  It  raged  especially  in  Africa ; 
and  from  the  history  of  those  final  tortures  which  the  Christians 
endured  from  the  pagans,  we  may  learn  how  great  was  his  power 
who  kept  his  people  steadfast  through  the  age  when  demons 
seemed  set  upon  them  utterly  to  destroy  them.  The  emperor 
gave  orders  to  burn  their  books,  to  throw  down  their  churches, 
to  fall  upon  all  those  who  kept  the  Lord's-day,  and  who  would 
not  burn  incense  to  Jupiter. 

At  the  dawn  of  morning,  on  the  day  of  the  feast  of  Terminalia, 
a  prefect  of  the  Prastorian  band  entered  the  church  of  Nicomedia. 
He  first  burned  the  sacred  Scriptures,  then  destroyed  the  build- 
ing, and  a  bloody  massacre  commenced.  All  that  fire,  boiling 
water,  wild  beasts,  starvation,  crucifijxion,  and  pain  of  every  sort 
could  bring,  to  compel  the  Christians  to  sacrifice  to  idols,  was  in 
vain. 

In  the  Thebais,  in  Egypt,  axes  were  so  blunted  with  mangled 
limbs,  and  the  executioners  so  tired  of  slaughter,  that  it  was 
necessary  to  send  for  fresh  men  and  new  axes  to  complete  the 
work. 

There  was  not  a  province,  city  or  town  in  the  Roman  empire 
— not  a  hamlet,  garden,  or  cottage  in  Rome— in  which  pursuit 
for  the  Christians  was  not  made  :  the  few  that  escaped  fled  to 
the  most  solitary  deserts.  "  I  have  visited,''  says  Dr.  Walsh, 
''  in  remote  places  in  the  east,  caverns  in  the  sides  of  nearly  inac- 
cossable  mountains,  where  they  endeavoured  to  find  refuge  during 
this  dismal  period."  In  one  province  alone,  150,000  Christians 
perished  cruelly;  sometimes  100  in  a  day — 17,000  in  a  month. 
It  was  intended  entirely  to  blot  out  Christianity  from  the  earth, 
and  medals  were  struck  by  Diocletian,  with  this  motto — "  Hav- 
ing everywhere  subdued  the  Christian  superstition,  and  restored 
the  worship  of  the  gods."  Pillars  with  the  above  inscription 
were  erected  in  Spain. 


THE    KORAN-  101 


The  British  Christians  came  in  for  theii  share  of  this  pcrsecu* 
lio  n  from  the  Eoman  empire ;  and  Diocletian,  by  striking  the 
disciples  of  Jesus  in  Britain,  only  increased  their  number. 
Many  took  refuge  in  Scotland,  where,  under  the  name  of  Cul- 
dees,  they  prayed  for  those  who  sheltered  them.  When  the  sur- 
rounding pagans  saw  the  holiness  of  these  men  of  God,  they  left 
their  sacred  oaks,  and  abandoned  the  worship  of  the  sun  and  the 
serpent,  to  obey  the  gentle  voice  of  the  gospel. 

The  Diocletian  persecution  continued  ten  years.  Houses  were 
filled  with  Christians,  and  the  whole  number  burned  to  ashes. 
Companies  of  fifty  were  tied  together  with  ropes,  and  in  droves 
were  hunied  into  the  sea.  Three  hundred  at  once  were  suffo- 
cated in  a  lime-kiln.  Swords,  red-hot  chairs,  wheels  for  stretch- 
ing human  bodies,  and  talons  of  iron  to  tear  them — all  were  the 
instruments  of  pagan  Eome  against  the  Christians.  Yet  still 
they  would  not  sacrifice  to  idols,  and  they  would  not  give  up  the 
Book.  ^' Why,''  it  was  said  to  Euplius,  a  Sicilian  martyr,  '^  why 
do  you  not  give  up  the  Scriptures,  as  the  emperor  has  forbidden 
them  ?"  ^'  Because,"  said  he,  "  I  am  a  Christian.  Life  eternal 
is  in  them.     He  who  gives  them  up  loses  life  eternal  V 


So,  then,  these  martyrs  died,  like  the  Maccabees  of  old ;  and 
Satan,  weary  of  thus  in  vain  assaulting  the  Church  of  the  Book, 
resolved  on  two  vast  schemes  against  the  Book  itself.  He  changed 
Rome  Pagan  into  Borne  Papal.  Having  laid  deep  and  broad  the 
foundations  for  that  '^  mystery  of  iniquity,"  he  taught  her  to  hide 
the  Book  which  should  witness  against  her  ]  and  this  snare  being 
ready  for  the  western  world,  he  turned  towards  the  east,  and 
caused  Mohammed  to  bring  forth  a  false  revelation, — a  mock 
Bible, — called  '^  the  Koran,"  or,  "  that  which  ought  to  be  read." 
Though  this  Koran  was  a  tissue  of  profane  and  old  wives'  fables, 
mixed  up  with  some  strange  repetitions  of  the  Scripture  narratives, 
yet  it  bound  together,  in  one  mighty  Saracen  empire,  all  the  wild 
sons  of  Joktan,  of  Ishmael,  and  of  Esau.  These  combining  to 
believe  this  Koran,  and  to  force  others  to  believe  it  with  the  sword^ 

9* 


102  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


caused  it,  within  the  period  of  eighty  years,  to  be  acknowledged 
over  the  greater  part  of  Asia  and  of  Africa,  and  they  threatened 
to  seat  it  even  in  the  heart  of  Europe. 

The  following  may  serve  as  a  specimen  of  comparison  between 
the  Bible  and  the  Koran  for  those  who  might  never  see  the  latter : 

Bible.  Koran. 

Twas  envious  at  the  foolish,  when  I  Cast  not  thine  eyes  on  the  good 
saw  the  prosperity  of  the  wicked.  .  .  things  which  we  have  bestowed  on 
.  .  .  Thus  my  heart  was  grieved,  several  of  the  unbelievers,  so  as  to 
Psalm  Ixxiii.  3.  21.  covet    the    same;    neither    be    thou 

grieved  on  their  account 
But  when  thou  doest  alms,  let  not  thy  If  ye  make  your  alms  to  appear,  it 
left  hand  know  what  thy  right  hand  is  well ;  but  if  ye  conceal  them,  and 
doeth:  that  thine  alms  may  be  in  secret:  give  them  unto  the  poor,  this  will  be 
and  thy  Father,  which  seeth  in  secret,  better  for  you,  and  will  atone  for  your 
himself  shall  reward  thee  openly.  Matt,  sins ;  and  God  is  well  informed  of  that 
vi.  3,  4.  which  ye  do.     Ch.  ii.  p.  30. 

These  both  were  cast  alive  into  a  lake  Verily,  those  who  disbelieve  our 
of  fire  burning  with  brimstone.  Rev.  signs,  we  will  surely  cast  to  be  broiled 
six.  20.  in  hell  fire:    so  often  as  their  skins 

shall  be  well  burned,  we  will  give 
them  other  skins  in  exchange,  that 
they  may  taste  the  sharper  torment: 
for  God  is  mighty  and  wise. 

The  rise  of  Mohammedanism,  however,  did  not  take  place  until 
the  seventh  century  after  Christ,  and  it  then  arose  and  conquered, 
^'  because  of  the  heresies  that  divided,  and  the  corruptions  which 
disgraced  Christianity."* 

We  must  see  how  these  heresies  and  corruptions  progressed  by 
degrees. 

After  the  Dioclesian  persecution,  came  the  reign  of  Constantino, 
who  favoured  instead  of  persecuting  the  Christians.  When  the 
bishops  met  in  council,  the  question  as  to  who  should  be  greatest, 
was  a  constant  source  of  discord  among  them.  The  Bishops  of 
Rome,  Antioch,  and  Alexandria  had  already  claimed  to  be  re- 
garded as  superior  to  the  rest ;  and  the  Bishop  of  Borne  declared 

*  Farster's  Mohammedanism  Unveiled." 


EMPEROR   CONSTANTINE.  103 


it  his  right  to  be  the  first  of  all,  as  being  the  bishop  of  the  first 
city  in  the  empire. 

Constantine  endeavoured  to  settle  their  difierences,  but  only 
caused  further  discontent  to  one  party,  the  Donatists,  "whom  he 
banished ;  and  you  will  grieve  to  hear  that  the  pagans  watched 
the  contending  Christians  with  triumphant  delight,  and  even  held 
them  up  to  ridicule  in  their  theatres :  the  voice  of  the  conflicting 
church  made  itself  heard  above  the  voice  of  the  "  faithful  word," 
for  that  had  said,  ^'  Let  brotherly  love  continue." 

Constantine  called  a  great  council  at  Nice,  in  Bithynia,  com- 
posed of  300  bishops,  where  a  "  confession  of  faith"  was  drawn 
up,  which  is  still  the  foundation  of  that  called,  in  the  Church  of 
England,  ^*  the  Nicene  Creed."  At  this  council  it  appears  to  have 
been  proposed,  that  the  clergy  should  be  forbidden  to  marry  ;  but 
it  was  not  agreed  upon,  as  Paphnutius,  an  African  bishop,  declared 
it  was  unscriptural. 

The  famous  controversy  respecting  the  observance  of  Easter  was 
settled  at  the  Council  of  Nice, — Constantine  declaring,  that  "  it 
was  not  for  the  dignity  of  the  church  to  follow  that  most  hateful 
of  all  people  the  Jews,  in  their  time  of  celebrating  the  passover," 

The  Emperor  Constantine  was  a  native  of  Britain,  and  his 
mother,  Helena,  is  said  to  have  been  a  British  princess.  They 
set  themselves,  with  ignorant,  but  probably  good  intent,  to  increase 
the  worldly  greatness  of  the  Christians,  to  whom  Christ,  theii 
Master,  had  said,  "  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world,"  (John  xviii. 
36,)  and  whom  he  had  described,  as  the  men  '■^  which  thou  gavest 
me  out  of  the  world."    John  xvii.  6. 

The  Empress  Helena  visited  Jerusalem,  and  erected  a  church 
over  the  supposed  sepulchre  of  Christ,  and  caused  a  number  of 
other  magnificent  churches  to  be  built.  As  a  reward  for  her 
labours,  she  was  said  to  have  discovered  the  wood  of  the  '^  true 
cross";  and  with  this  and  the  ''holy  earth"  from  Jerusalem,  (to 
which  all  access  was  forbidden  to  the  Jews,)  began  the  long  list 
of  relics,  which  have  been  worshippoil  ever  since,  down  to  the 
''  holy  coat  of  Treves." 

The  bones  of  the  martyrs  suddenly  Decame  of  immense  value; 


104  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


and  out  of  the  very  ruins  of  his  former  cruelties  did  the  "  prince 
of  this  world"  cause  to  be  built  up  his  new  and  enduring  palace 
of  papal  superstition. 

Constantino  next  wished  the  different  ranks  of  bishops  in  the 
church  to  be  distinguished  by  particular  dresses,  and  presented 
the  Bishop  of  Rome  with  the  pall, — a  splendid  robe,  originally  a 
part  of  the  dress  of  the  emperors  ;  and  the  crosier  and  mitre  were 
adopted  at  the  same  time. 

Every  thing  was  done  to  reconcile  the  pagans  to  Christianity. 
Martyrs  and  saints  were  honoured  in  place  of  Jupiter  and  Venus, 
and  feasts  and  dances  were  held  on  the  graves  of  the  martyrs. 

Monasteries  also  were  greatly  encouraged  :  these  were  the  places 
of  residence  for  monks  and  nuns.  Constantino  showed  the  greatest 
respect  for  those  who  willingly  retreated  from  the  world,  and  de- 
voted themselves  to  a  life  of  solitude  and  hardship.  Anthony 
the  Eg}'|3tian  had  formed  the  first  household  of  monks ;  and  Paul, 
a  young  Christian  of  the  same  country,  had  taken  refuge  from 
persecution  in  the  deserts,  and  was  probably  the  first  hermit, 
A.  D.  253.  At  the  close  of  the  fourth  century,  27,000  monks  and 
nuns  were  to  be  found  in  Eg}^t  alone. 

It  must  be  admitted,  that  Constantino  did  some  good  service  to 
the  great  cause  of  Christianity;  but,  judging  of  his  actions  by  the 
light  of  an  open  Bible,  there  are  reasons  to  fear  that  in  many  in- 
stances his  zeal  was  "without  knowledge."  He  did  not  act,  in 
all  thino-s,  according:  to  the  '^mind  of  Christ":  and  the  result  of 
his  efforts  to  extend  the  Christian  faith  was  to  increase  the  pride 
of  the  spiritual  rulers,  and  to  load  the  church  with  worldly  pomp 
and  grandeur. 

Among  the  monks,  no  doubt,  were  many  godly  persons  who 
took  refuge  in  monasteries,  from  the  evils  abounding  around  them ; 
but  they  forgot  that  their  Master  had  said,  ^'I  jpray  not  that  thou 
shoiddest  take  them  out  of  the  loorld,  but  that  thou  shouldest  keep 
them  from  the  evil";  and  so,  by  degrees,  they  built  up  a  vast 
system  which  rests  on  no  scriptural  foundation.  Anthony,  the 
first  monk,  died,  aged  105,  leaving  little  behind  him  but  twc 
sheepskins,  which  were  sent  to  two  bishops  as  legacies. 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  PAPACY.  105 


At  first  thirty  or  forty  monks  lived  together  in  a  range  of  low, 
narrow  huts ;  then  a  wall  was  built  around  these ;  then  each 
community  by  degrees  erected  a  church  for  itself,  a  hospital,  and 
a  library,  and  secured  a  reservoir  of  water.  They  slept  in  a 
rough  blanket,  on  the  bare  ground;  their  dress  was  a  coarse 
linen  shirt  and  a  sheepskin,  besides  a  cowl  or  hood  to  protect 
them  from  beholding  vanity ;  they  lived  chiefly  on  vegetables^ 
walked  out  two  and  two,  and  when  they  returned  home,  were  for- 
bidden to  speak  of  what  they  had  heard. 

When  their  minds,  in  spite  of  all  this  fencing  off  from  the 
world,  wandered  back  to  it,  they  tried  to  curb  them  by  discipline. 
Some  began  to  wear  crosses,  chains,  and  collars  of  heavy  iron ; 
but  these  could  not  chain  the  mind.  Some  passed  years  without 
speaking,  days  without  food,  and  nights  without  sleep;  others 
spent  their  energies  better,  and  employed  themselves  day  after 
day  in  copying  manuscripts ;  and  the  best  fruit  of  their  labours 
was  the  multiplication  of  copies  of  the  Scriptures.  It  is  certain 
that  many  received  them  into  their  hearts  as  they  copied  them, 
and  were  thus  kept  ^^  pure,"  in  spite  of  the  folly  and  corruption 
of  the  system  under  which  they  lived. 

It  was  the  rule  of  the  monks  to  pay  blind  submission  to  the 
abbot  of  their  monastery.  If  he  told  them  to  water  a  barren 
staff  for  years,  they  obeyed  as  if  they  expected  it  to  grow  intc 
a  living  tree  ! 

At  first,  these  monasteries  were  places-  which  the  monks  might 
enter  or  quit  as  they  pleased;  but  this  soon  ceased,  and  they  be- 
came prisons  which  never  yielded  up  their  prey.  The  abbot, 
who  heard  their  daily  confession  of  sin,  controlled  them  in  mind 
and  body,  punished  them,  and  directed  them  as  he  pleased;  and 
these  bands  of  men,  thus  disciplined,  became  very  powerful,  and 
established  an  influence,  by  no  means  w'lolesome,  over  the  Church 
of  God. 

You  have  heard,  perhaps,  of  Alaric  the  king  of  the  Goths, 
who  in  the  fifth  century  came  down  with  his  mighty  arm  upon 
Home,  and  extorted  from  it  a  ransom  worthy  of  its  enormous 
wealth.     Did  you    ever  hear  of  his  grave  ?     His  army  caused 


106  THE    BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


their  captives  to  turn  aside  the  course  of  the  river  Busentinus, 
to  make  it,  and  then,  when  they  had  buried  him,  slew  upon  the 
spot  all  who  had  been  engaged  in  the  work,  that  none  might  tell 
the  secret, — the  waters  being  restored  to  their  usual  channel. 

But  that  grave  shall  not  be  hidden,  when  earth,  and  sea,  and 
river  shall  give  up  their  dead.  These  Groths  caused  the  downfaL 
of  the  imperial  Roman  power;  yet,  while  this  decayed,  the  priestly 
power  in  the  same  old  city  went  on  increasing  and  increasing,  till 
Rome  in  a  new  form  reigned  over  all  the  kings  of  the  earth.  Leo^ 
surnamed  the  Great,  bishop  of  Borne,  laid  the  foundations  of  the 
papal  dominion,  at  the  time  the  imperial  power  received  its 
deadly  wound.  He  received,  from  the  Emperor  Yalentinian, 
authority  over  all  the  bishops  of  the  western  empire  of  Borne, 
and  sent  his  legate,  or  messenger,  to  inquire  into  all  '^  heresies" 
at  the  court  of  the  eastern  empire  also.  He  endeavoured  to  pre- 
vent the  marriage  of  the  clergy,  and  to  enforce  the  practice  of 
confession  to  the  priests.  He  greatly  increased  the  pomp  of  reli- 
gious services;  incense  was  burned,  holy  water  sprinkled,  and 
tapers  lighted  at  midday  to  frighten  away  the  evil  spirits.  Leo 
died,  A.  D.  461. 

To  trace,  however,  the  growing  development  of  the  apostasy  in 
the  sixth  and  seventh  centuries,  only  concerns  us  as  far  as  protest 
was  made  against  increasing  evils,  by  the  Church  of  the  Book, — 
by  those  who  still  were  determined  ^'to  hold  fast  the  faithful 
word,''  and  to  listen  to  the  Written  Voice  of  Grod,  rather  than  to 
the  voice  of  this  great  hierarchy,  which  claimed  for  itself  such 
wide  supremacy. 

It  is  a  delightful  task  to  follow  the  pilgrimage  of  Divine  Truth 
from  land  to  land,  even  through  what  were  called  the  Dark  Ages. 
The  fire,  kindled  from  heaven,  like  that  on  the  Tabernacle  altar, 
was  never  to  go  out ;  and  it  never  did.  Amid  all  the  destruc- 
tions, persecutions,  and  corruptions,  the  sacred  books  were  con- 
tinually copied  and  re-copied;  and  we  must  now  particularly  ex- 
amine into  what  languages. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  first  century,  the  Latin  language 
waA  gradually  becoming  more  general  than  the  Greek,  and  it 


VERSIONS   OF    THE    SCRIPTURE.  107 


might  son  have  been  called  the  language  of  the  Western  Church. 
In  the  early  agcS;  as  soon  as  any  one  found  a  Greek  copy  of  a 
Gospel  or  an  Epistle,  and  thought  himself  able,  he  began  to 
translate  it.  Many  of  these  translations  were  imperfect,  but  one 
called  the  Old  Italic  was  the  best :  this  was  made  in  the  second 
century,  and  comprised  both  the  Old  and  New  Testaments. 

The  word  of  God  was  now  existing  in  five  languages,  viz.  the 
Old  Hebrew ;  the  Chaldee,  made  for  the  Babylonian  Jews ;  the 
Greek,  or  Septuagint;  a  S^7'iac  version,  which  had  been  made, 
at  the  beginning  of  the  second  century,  for  the  Syrian  Christians; 
and  the  Latin,  as  above  mentioned. 

Two  of  these  translations  from  the  Hebrew  were  made  before 
the  Christian  era,  and  two  after  it.  In  the  fourth  century,  a 
learned  monk,  named  Jerome,  translated  afresh  the  Old  Testa- 
ment from  the  Hebrew  into  Latin  :  his  version  is  called  the 
''  Latin  Vulgate,'^  and  was  pronounced  by  the  Council  of  Trent  to 
be  the  only  one  "  esteemed  authentic"  by  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church.  Numerous  manuscript  copies  of  these  versions  have 
been  preserved  to  our  times ;  and  now  they  are  printed,  and  have 
been  diligently  compared  with  one  another  by  learned  men ;  and, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  trifling  difierences,  they  present  to 
us,  in  five  difierent  languages,  the  same  text  and  the  same  num- 
ber of  books. 

These  three  sister  versions,  the  Chaldee,  the  Greek,  and  the 
Syriac,  after  they  were  made,  were  separated  for  many  hundred 
years.  The  Chaldee  version,  carefully  preserved  by  the  Jews, 
was  unknown  to  Christians  during  the  early  ages  of  the  Church; 
and  the  Christians  of  Syria  knew  as  little  of  the  Greek  Bible  as 
the  Greeks  did  of  the  Syriac.  The  Syriac  and  Chaldee  were  for 
the  East ;  the  Gre^k  spread  over  the  West,  and  was  again  trans- 
lated into  Latin.  The  Latin  Bible  was  not  borrowed  from  the 
Syriac  or  Chaldee,  yet,  when  brought  together,  they  all  closely 
agree,  though  the  work  of  enemies  to  one  another,  of  Christians 
and  Jews,  Eastern  and  Western  Christians,  Palestinian  Jews  and 
Alexandrian  Jews.  These  are  the  great  roots  of  all  other  transla- 
tions, 


108  THE    BOOK    AND   ITS   STORY. 


The  copies  from  these  were  innumerable  :  they  were  copiel  by 
thousands  who  regarded  them  with  heartfelt  reverence  and  affec- 
tion ;  and  there  were  besides  multitudes  in  the  religious  houses, 
who,  influenced  only  by  superstition,  still  thought  it  a  work  of 
superlative  merit  to  execute  a  fair  copy  of  the  Scriptures,  or  any 
part  of  them. 

There  is,  in  the  library  of  the  British  Museum,  one  of  the 
most  valuable  manuscripts  of  the  Bible,  in  Greek,  called  the 
"Alexandrine.^'  It  was  sent  in  the  year  1628  as  a  present  to 
King  Charles  I.  by  Cyril,  the  patriarch  of  Constantinople.  It 
was  probably  written  at  Alexandria  by  Thecla,  a  noble  Egyptian 
lady,  in  the  fourth  century,  a  little  after  the  Council  of  Nice. 
Thecla  was  afterward  martyred.  This  precious  manuscript  is 
Tfritten  in  uncial  or  capital  characters  like  these  :— 

John  i.  1. 

s^^pXHHMOXorockxfOAOrocH 

ITpOCTONeM'KXieCHNOXOrOC 

(Literally  Translated.) 
INTIIEBEGINNINGWASTIIEWORDANDTHEWOIIDWAS 
WITIIGD.ANDGDWASTHEWORD. 

It  is  so  much  prized,  that  the  trustees  of  the  British  Museum 
have  had  it  stereotyped  at  the  expense  of  thirty  thousand  pounds, 
and  have  presented  a  copy  to  all  the  principal  libraries  in  the 
kingdom,  so  that  it  can  never  be  lost. 

Throughout  the  period  of  which  we  have  been  speaking,  persons 
were  raised  up  from  time  to  time  to  contend  for  different  portions 
of  Divine  Truth ;  and  one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  these,  in 
the  East,  was  Vigilantius,  a  presbyter,  who  went  from  Gaul  into 
Palestine,  and  preached  boldly  against  the  common  errors.  Thia 
occurred  in  the  fifth  century.  Let  us  see  what  he  then  had  occa* 
sion  to  condemn.     He  preached — 

Against  the  worship  of  relics; 
Against  pilgrimages  to  holy  places ; 


FIRST    PROTESTS.  109 


Against  prayers  to  saints ; 

Against  severe  fasting  and  mortification ; 

Against  "  forbidding  to  marry/' 

He  was,  in  fact,  one  of  the  early  Protestants,*  as  was  Nostorins, 
a  Syrian,  and  bishop  of  Constantinople,  who  strongly  objected  to 
the  title  of  ''  Mother  of  Grod,"  as  applied  to  the  Virgin  Mary. 
It  does  not  appear  that  he  wished  in  any  measure  to  take  from 
the  divine  dignity  of  Christ,  by  rebuking  this  expression ;  but 
he  was  accused  of  doing  so.  The  Bishop  of  Rome  combined 
with  others  against  him;  and,  by  a  council  held  at  Ephesus, 
A.  D.  431,  he  was  pronounced  accursed,  and  banished.  ''  Con- 
demned,''  it  is  said,  "  without  a  hearing,  he  died  in  one  of  the 
oases  of  the  Egyptian  desert ;  and  all  who  held  his  views  were 
expelled  from  the  church. '^  But  the  Nestorian  Christians  in- 
creased in  spite  of  the  imperial  laws ;  and  among  them  may  be 
traced  some  of  the  brightest  servants  of  God ;  for  their  separa- 
tion from  Rome  preserved  them  from  many  errors.  From  the 
time  of  Ncstorius,  images  and  pictures  of  the  ^'  Virgin  and** 
Child"  became  common. 

In  the  sixth  and  seventh  centuries,  these  Nestorians  were 
remarkable  as  missionaries  of  the  Truth  :  they  continued  entirely 
independent  of  the  systems  of  Rome  or  of  Constantinople,  and 
had  a  patriarch  of  their  own  at  Seleucia.  They  abounded  ia 
Chaldea,  Persia,,  and  Assyria,  and  carried  the  gospel  into  the 
remotest  and  most  barbarous  parts  of  Asia,  and  even  into  China. 
Their  manners  were  pure ;  they  never  interfered  in  political  revo- 
lutions, and  remained  as  witnesses  for  God,  even  when  Mohamme- 
danism overcame  Romanism.  In  the  eight  century  they  sent 
missionaries  through  the  immense  and  savage  tracts  of  ancient 
Scythia,  or  modern  Russia,  and  even  to  Siberia  and  Nova 
Zembla. 

You  must  take  particular  notice  of  the  Nestorians,  because 


*  His  Life  has  been  ■written  by  a  clergyman,  to  whom  we  also  owe  a  very 

Interesting  account  of  the  protesting  church  in  the  Piedmontese  valleys, — the 

Kev.  W.  Gillv. 

10 


110  rilE    BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


they  yet  exist :  they  have  never  ceased  to  exist :  they  tried  to 
spread  the  knowledge  of  Christ  through  all  the  dark  regions  of 
the  East  in  every  successive  century;  and  there  must  always 
have  been  not  a  little  genuine  godliness  among  them.  In  the 
thirteenth  century,  they  had  many  churches  in  Tartary,  India, 
Persia,  and  China;  and  the  pure  light  of  their  ''witness"  only 
appeared  to  be  dying  out  in  the  fifteenth  century,  when  the  bright 
day  of  the  Reformation  was  about  to  dawn  upon  the  world. 
When  we  come  to  the  modern  triumphs  of  the  Bible — to  the  last 
fifty  years  of  our  story — we  shall  have  delightful  news  to  tell  you 
of  these  old  Nestorians.  In  the  mean  time,  we  must  leave  them 
where  Mr.  Layard,  the  discoverer  of  Nineveh,  found  them  a  year 
or  two  since — within  sight  of  the  spotless,  snowy  peak  of  Ararat, 
in  the  valleys  of  Armenia,  once  inhabited  by  the  only  independ- 
ent Christian  tribes  of  Asia,  and  still  the  dwelling-places  of  this 
remnant  of  a  primitive  church. 


We  must  now  lead  you  to  the  neighbouring  district  of  Armenia. 
In  the  fifth  century,  also,  Mesrob,  the  inventor  of  the  Armenian 
alphabet,  presented  his  countrymen  with  a  translation  of  the 
Bible,  made  from  the  Septuagint.  A  church  arose  here  which 
has  likewise  existed  through  the  dark  ages,  though  it  was  by  no 
means  so  pure  as  the  Nestorian  Church.  Its  teachers  lived  un- 
married, and  adopted  the  seven  sacraments  of  Borne,  but  did  not 
admit  the  supremacy  of  the  pope.  Like  the  Nestorians,  also, 
they  obstinately  rejected  images  and  pictures ;  and  this  separates 
them  from  the  Greek  Church  to  this  day. 

The  Greek  Church,  so  called,  is  in  most  respects  like  the  Bo- 
man  Church,  though  it  does  not  acknowledge  the  pope  as  its 
head,  but  owns  in  his  stead  the  Patriarch  of  Constantinople.  Its 
doctrines  differ  widely  from  those  of  the  Protestant,  and  it 
acknowledges  the  decrees  of  the  councils  for  its  rule  of  faith. 
Few  even  of  its  clergy  possessed  any  part  of  the  sacred  books ; 
and  its  people  were  not  allowed  to  read  them. 

In  Armenia  arose  the  sect  of-  the  Paulicians,  the  origin  of 


THE    PAULICIANS.  Ill 


wliicli  is  very  interesting.  In  a.  d.  660,  a  deacon  of  a  Christian 
cliurch,  who  had  been  in  captivity  among  the  Saracens  in  Syria, 
was  returning  home  through  the  little  town  of  Mananalis  in 
Armenia,  where  he  was  kindly  received  by  a  respectable  inha- 
bitant, named  Constantino,  and  entertained  some  days  at  his 
house. 

In  return  for  his  kindness,  he  presented  his  host  with  two 
manuscripts  which  he  had  brought  out  of  Syria — the  four  Gos- 
pels, and  the  Epistles  of  St.  Paul.  From  the  presentation  of 
this  (at  that  time)  rare  and  costly  gift,  we  may  infer  what  had 
been  their  conversation  together.  For  the  first  time  Constantino 
had  an  opportunity  of  studying  the  precious  truth  for  himself, 
and  it  soon  cast  out  of  his  mind  some  errors,  called  Manichean, 
which  he  had  adopted.  He  burnt  his  bad  books,  and  declared 
he  would  thenceforth  study  nothing  but  the  Gospels  and  Epis- 
tles. He  began  to  teach,  as  well  as  to  read  for  himself;  and  his 
disciples  instructed  others  around  them.  He  lived  for  twenty- 
seven  years,  spreading  his  new  opinions  all  around  Cibossa,  to 
which  place  he  had  removed. 

His  followers  increased  so  rapidly,  that  a  Greek  emperor  sent 
to  have  him  stoned,  and  Simeon,  the  messenger,  caused  his  own 
disciples  to  perform  the  deed ;  but  afterward  Simeon  himself, 
like  Saul  of  Tarsus,  repented,  being  converted  by  beholding  the 
grace  of  God  in  the  noble  martyr  and  his  disciples,  who  sufiered 
after  him.  Simeon,  having  united  himself  with  the  Paulicians, 
preached  among  them  for  some  time  at  Cibossa,  and  also  died  a 
martyr.  It  is  Recorded  that  he  was  seized,  with  his  followers, 
and  all  were  burned  in  one  vast  pile,  with  the  exception  of  one 
Paulu's  and  his  two  sons,  who  were  sent  to  Constantinople  to  be 
questioned. 

These  three  afterward  escaped,  and  fleeing  again  to  Mananalis, 
lived  and  flourished  under  the  protection  of  the  Saracens  for 
thirty  years :  their  disciples  increased  greatly,  and  were  called 
Paulicians.  They  were  said,  in  the  language  of  their  enemies — 
to  deny  ^Hhe  orthodox  faith" — not  to  adore  the  mother  of  God 
" — not  to  partake  of  the  bread  as  made  Christ — and  to  have  aban- 


112  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS   STORY. 


doned  the  Eastern  Churcli,  whicli  they  certainly  had,  for  they 
belonged  to  the  Church  of  the  Book;  therefore  the  imperial 
government  persecuted  them.  The  Empress  Theodora,  who  is 
called  a  saint  in  the  Greek  Church,  declared  she  would  cut  off 
the  Paulicians,  root  and  branch,  unless  she  could  bring  them  to 
the  true  faith.  A  hundred  thousand  persons  are  said  to  have 
perished  by  her  orders :  they  were  hanged,  crucified,  burned,  or 
drowned,  and  all  their  property  went  into  the  imperial  treasury. 

Notwithstanding  these  persecutions,  the  Paulicians  continued 
to  increase  through  the  knowledge  of  the  Gospels.  An  aged 
woman  of  this  sect  was  instrumental  in  the  conversion  of  Sergius, 
afterward  a  great  propagator  of  their  opinions,  only  by  putting 
the  Gospels  into  his  hands.  For  thirty-four  years  he  was  occu- 
pied in  spreading  tlie  truths  they  contained,  through  every  city 
and  province  he  could  reach  :  his  own  words  are,  "  From  the  east 
to  the  west,  and  from  the  north  to  the  south,  have  I  been  pro- 
claiming the  gospel,  and  labouring  on  mi/  knees." 

His  efforts  were  so  successful,  that  he  was  said  by  the  Roman 
Church  to  be  Antichrist,  and  to  be  producing  the  great  apostasy 
foretold  by  St.  Paul.  It  is  agreed  by  the  best  historians  that 
the  Paulicians  were  transplanted  into  Thrace,  penetrated  Bul- 
garia, were  introduced  into  Italy  and  France,  and,  under  various 
names,  especially  that  of  Alhigenses,  spread  through  Europe.* 


The  gospel  in  Abyssinia  or  Ethiopia  has  a  very  ancient  history 
— even  from  the  apostolic  age,  when  it  must  have  been  carried 
there  by  the  minister  of  its  Queen  Candace.  You  remember  ho 
had  been  worshipping  at  Jerusalem,  and  was,  as  he  returned 
home  in  his  chariot,  reading  the  roll  of  the  Prophet  Isaiah,  when 
he  was  met  by  the  Apostle  Philip,  who  asked  him  ''  if  he  under- 
stood what  he  was  reading;"  and  he,  confessing  his  ignorance, 
desired  Philip  to  come  up  and  teach  him.  During  their  journey 
Philip  preached  unto  him  Jesus,  having  been  sent  to  meet  him  foi 


*  Sharon  Turner's  "History  of  England,"  vol.  v.,  p.  119- 


ABYSSINIA.  113 


this  purpose,  as  we  learn,  bj  the  Spirit  of  God,  (see  Acts  viii.) 
This  teacliini^  issued  in  his  ''  believing  with  all  his  heart,'^  and 
his  immedij,.e  baptism;  and,  it  is  said,  "he  went  on  his  way 
rejoicing." 

'^  It  is  impossible  that  this  Ethiopian,  thus  enlightened,  could 
be  silent,"  says  Milner,  '^  when  he  returned  home;"  but  this  is 
the  end  of  our  Scripture  light  upon  the  subject. 

We  next  hear  concerning  Abyssinia,  that  Frumentius,  after 
residing  some  years  in  Egypt,  was  ordained  as  Bishop  of  Meroe, 
the  chief  city  in  Abyssinia,  by  Athanasius,  the  patriarch  of 
Alexandria,  about  A.  D.  330. 

When  a  Greek  merchant,  named  Cosmas,  who  wrote  a  book 
called  "  ChrilStian  Topography,"  in  which  he  mentions  the  in- 
scriptions on  the  rocks  of  Sinai,*  visited  Abyssinia,  in  A.  D.  525, 
he  says  it  was  completely  a  Christian  country,  and  well  provided 
both  with  ministers  and  churches.  Mr.  Salt,  a  modern  traveller 
in  Abyssinia,  describes  the  remains  of  ancient  churches  hewn  out 
of  the  solid  rock,  the  date  of  which  he  assigns  to  the  sixth 
century. 

After  this  time,  very  little  was  known  of  the  country  till  the 
Portuguese  entered  it  in  1490,  and  found  there  a  body  of  Chris- 
tians, who  had  received  the  Holy  Scriptures  in  the  ancient 
Ethiopic  version,  or  Glieez  language,  made  from  the  Greek  Sep- 
tuagint.  Mr.  Bruce,  a  traveller  in  these  remote  regions,  brought 
with  him  a  complete  copy  to  Europe  :  the  apocryphal  books,  were, 
however,  intermixed  in  this  version  with  the  canonical. 

You  must  bear  these  facts  in  mind  respecting  Abyssinia,  be- 
cause in  a  future  page  we  shall  have  very  interesting  particulars 
to  relate  of  the  translation  of  the  Scriptures  into  Amharic,  which 
is  the  modern  language  spoken  in  this  country.  This  ancient 
Christian  Church  had  mixed  many  errors  with  its  faith ;  and  no 
wonder ;  for  it  had  fallen  under  the  influence  of  the  Jesuit  mis- 
sionaries from  the  Portuguese ;  and  a  law  had  been  made  that 
whoever  dared  to  translate  the  Holy  Scriptures  from  Gheez  into 
Amharic  should  die. 

*  See  page  34. 
10* 


114  THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


But,  as  we  said  we  would  follow  tlie  pilgrimage  of  Divine 
Truth  from  land  to  land,  we  must  now  leave  the  churches  of  the 
East,  who  maintained  their  long  and  arduous  struggle  against 
the  corruptions  of  the  West,  and  recur  to  the  early  progress  of 
the  gospel  in  Great  Britain  and  L'eland. 

As  IrenaBus,  bishop  of  Lyons,  early  in  the  second  century, 
mentions  the  existence  of  churches  among  the  Celtic  nations,  and 
Tertullian,  about  A.  d.  200,  says,  that  "  those  parts  of  the  British 
isles  which  were  unapproached  by  the  Romans  were  yet  subject 
to  Christ,'^  these  parts,  which  were  most  probably  the  mountain- 
ous seclusians  of  Wales,  and  perhaps  of  Scotland,  must  have  re- 
ceived the  faith,  and  doubtless  the  Old  Testament,  from  Bran, 
the  father  of  Caractacus,  and  probable  disciple  of  the  Apostle 
Paul,*  and  the  Old  Testament  would  cause  them  to  inquire  for 
the  New,  as,  by  degrees,  it  was  written.  At  any  rate,  Christian 
churches  were  formed,  and  these  shared  in  the  Diocletian  perse- 
cution, A.  D.  303.  Two  martys  of  this  age,  Julius  and  Aaron, 
were  honoured  in  the  British  Church,  which  is  recorded  to  have 
converted  many  of  the  ancient  bards,  or  Druids,  from  their,  old 
patriarchal  but  corrupted  religion,  to  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ; 
and  Divine  worship  continued  for  a  while  to  be  performed  in  the 
ancient  Druidical  circles.  One  of  these  is  at  Carn-y-groes,  in 
Glamorganshire,  where  also  stands  an  ancient  cross. 

Pelagius,  who  was  a  British  teacher  from  the  monastery  at 
Bangor-Iscoed,  in  A.  D.  400,  went  to  the  continent  and  )?egan  to 
preach  strange  doctrine.  Dr.  D' Aubigne  says,  "  It  does  not  ap- 
pear that  he  had  a  bad  intention,  but  he  had  many  of  the  old 
Druidical  notions ;  and,  finding  fault  with  the  moral  indifference 
of  the  Eastern  Christians,  he  denied  the  doctrine  of  original  sin, 
and  said  that  if  man  made  use  of  all  his  natural  powers,  he  could 
become  perfect."  This  was  not  preaching  Christ  Jesus  :  and  the 
venerable  historian,  Bede,  tells  us,  "  the  British  churches  refused 
to  receive  this  doctrine  :  they  sent  for  two  bishops  from  Armorica, 
(now  called  Britanny,)  Germanus  and  Lupus,  who  came  to  their 

*  See  page  93. 


SUCCATj    OR    ST,    TATRTCK.  115 


aid,  and  those  who  had  wandered  returned  into  the   ^^  way  of 
truth." 

The  Diocletian  persecution,  in  A.  d.  303,  as  we  have  seen, 
drove  many  of  the  Christians  to  Scotland,  and  to  the  island  of 
Zona,  where  they  built  a  church,  called  the  Church  of  our 
Saviour,  whose  walls,  it  is  said,  still  exist  among  the  stately  ruins 
of  a  later  age.  One  particular  portion  appears  to  be  of  primitive 
architecture. 

But  we  must  now  turn  to  Ireland; — for  that  country  also 
afforded  the  terrified  British  clergy  an  asylum  from  the  Diocletian 
persecution. 

In  the  year  388,  a  captive  youth,  named  Succat,  sixteen  years 
of  age,  the  child  of  Scotch  parents,  was  sent  into  the  green  pas- 
tures of  Ireland  to  keep  swine.  Hence,  as  he  led  his  herds  over 
the  mountains  and  through  the  forests,  by  night  and  by  day,  he 
called  to  niind  the  instructions  of  a  pious  mother,  which,  up  to 
this  time  of  his  distress,  he  had  forgotten ;  and  when  afterward 
rescued  from  his  captivity,  he  considered  it  his  duty  to  carry  the 
gospel  to  the  people  of  that  country,  where  he  had  himself  found 
Christ  Jesus.  This  boy,  Succat,  was  afterward  known  as  St. 
Patrick,  and  sainted  by  the  Bomisli  Church. 

He  collected  the  pagan  tribes  in  the  fields,  by  beat  of  drum, 
and  there  narrated  to  them  in  their  own  tongue  the  history  of  the 
Son  of  God.  Ere  long  many  souls  were  converted,  and  the  Dru- 
idical  hymns  changed  into  canticles  to  Christ.  This  St.  Patrick 
is  said  to  have  evangelized  Ireland,  and  after  that  period  it  was 
known  by  the  name  of  "  The  Isle  of  Saints." 

Meantime  the  state  of  the  British  Church  was  most  afflicting. 
The  warlike  Anglo-Saxons,  who  were  pagan  idolaters,  slew  im. 
mense  numbers  of  the  Christians,  though  many  hid  themselves 
in  Wales,  and  in  the  wild  moors  of  Northumberland  and  Cornwall, 
and  many  fled  into  Britanny,  in  France,  whose  inhabitants  still 
speak  a  language  resembling  the  ancient  British  or  Welsh. 

In  one  of  the  churches  formed  in  Ireland  by  Succat's  preaching, 

there  arose,  two  centuries  after  him,  a  pious  man,  named  Co- 

umba,  in  whose  veins  flowed  royal  blood.     He  resolved  to  repay 


116  THE   BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY 


to  the  country  of  Succat  wliat  Succat  had  imparted  to  his — to  go 
and  preach  the  word  of  God  in  Scotland.  With  some  of  his 
companions,  he  constructed  a  frail  coracle  of  osiers  and  skins. 
^'  In  this  rude  boat,"  says  D'Aubigne,  "  they  embarked  in  the 
year  5G5,  and  the  little  missionary  band  reached  in  safety  the 
waters  of  the  Hebrides." 

They  landed  in  lona,  and  found  the  Christian  Culdees,  and 
ako  some  Druids.  The  poor  Druids  were  now  to  cede  the  ancient 
college  of  their  order  and  the  burial-place  of  their  kings  to  another 
race,  for  whose  sake,  also,  this  wondrous  little  spot  of  earth  is 
very  famous. 

Conal,  the  Scottish  king,  granted  lona  to  Columba,  and  it 
became  "the  missionary  isle,"  "the  light  of  the  western 
world." 

Columba  was  really  a  holy  man  :  he  lived  as  in  the  sight  of 
God ;  he  mortified  the  flesh,  perhaps,  unnecessarily, — sleeping  on 
the  ground,  with  a  stone  for  his  pillow ;  but  he  prayed  and  read, 
he  wrote  and  taught,  he  preached,  and  he  redeemed  the  time, 
He  went  from  hut  to  hut,  and  also  from  kingdom  to  kingdom. 
Precious  manuscripts  were  conveyed  to  lona ;  the  holy  word  of 
God  was  studied  there,  and  many  received  through  faith  the  sal- 
vation which  is  in  Christ  Jesus.  Columba  maintained  that  it 
was  the  Holy  Ghost  which  made  a  servant  of  God. 

When  the  youth  of  Scotland  assembled  round  their  elders  on 
these  wild  shores,  they  were  taught  that  the  Holy  Scriptures  are 
the  only  rule  of  faith.  "  Throw  aside  all  merit  of  works,  and 
look  for  salvation  to  the  grace  of  God  alone."  "It  is  better  to 
keep  your  heart  pure  before  God,  than  to  abstain  from  meats." 
"  One  alone  is  your  head, — Jesus  Christ."  "  Bishops  and  pres- 
byters are  equal :  they  should  be  the  husbands  of  one  wife,  and 
have  their  children  in  subjection." 

These  were  Protestant  doctrines.  The  sages  of  lona  knew 
nothing  of  the  bread  in  the  Lord's  Supper  being  changed  into 
the  actual  body  of  Christ;  they  did  not  withdraw  the  cup  from 
the  laity;  knew  nothing  of  confession  to  priests,  or  prayers  to 
the  dead,  or  tapers,  or  incense      They  celebrated  Eastc  on  a. 


THE   ISLE  "of   IONA.  117 


different  day  from  Rome,  and  the  sapremacy  of  the  pope  wag 
anknown. 

When  the  college  in  this  islet  sent  out  its  missionaries,  they 
knelt  in  the  chapel  of  Icolmkill,  and  were  set  apart  by  the  hands 
of  the  elders :  they  were  called  bishops^  but  remained  obedient 
to  the  elder  of  lona. 

"  lona  and  Bangor/'  continues  the  modern  historian  of  the 
lleformation,  "  possessed  a  more  lively  faith  than  the  city  of  the 
Cscsars;  and  Britain  in  the  sixth  century  was  faithful  in  planting 
the  standard  of  Christ  in  the  heart  of  Europe.'' 

Columba  is  said  to  have  possessed  a  most  engaging  address,  a 
cheerful  countenance,  and  a  most  powerful  and  commanding 
voice,  so  that  he  could  be  distinctly  heard  at  a  mile's  distance 
when  he  chanted  psalms.  He  appears  to  have  been  a  man  of 
much  prayer,  and  to  have  earnestly  believed  that  God  answers 
prayer;  and  in  the  strength  of  this  belief  he  did  many  mighty 
works.  The  historian  Bede  tells  us,  that  he  and  his  disciples 
brought  religion  at  that  time  into  such  repute,  that  a  monk  was 
everywhere  received  as  God's  servant.  Columba  was  remarkable 
for  his  humility;  he  said  that  ''no  man  ought  to  be  praised  till 
he  had  reached  the  goal,  and  finished  his  course."  He  greatly 
loved  the  study  of  the  Scriptures,  and  was  sometimes  engaged 
for  whole  days  and  nights  in  exploring  their  dark  and  difiicult 
passages,  with  fasting  and  prayer.  It  is  said  of  him,  that  ''when 
any  offended  himself,  he  forgave  him, — when  any  offended  God, 
he  prayed  for  him." 

The  isle  of  lona  continued  to  be,  under  Columba,  as  it  always 
had  been,  the  burial-place  of  kings.  Its  "  fair  kirkyard"  con- 
tains the  tombs  of  forty-eight  crowned  Scottish  kings,  four  Irish 
kings,  the  tombs  of  the  kings  of  Norway,  and  the  most  part  of 
the  lords  of  the  isles. 

These  tombs  are  flat  stones,  with  many  an  ancient  carving 
feunk  in  the  green  sward.  Dr.  Johnson  called  this  "awful 
ground."  In  the  corner  of  the  ruined  cathedral  are  the  "black 
etones,"  held  so  sacred  by  the  Highlanders,  that  an  oath  sworn 
on  them  was  always  kept.     Many  beautiful  crosses  were  broken 


118 


THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


or  carried  off  at  the  Keformatioii.  Spottiswoode  says,  that  in 
Columba's  own  lifetime,  he  founded  100  monasteries  and  365 
churches,  and  ordained  3000  monks.  He  died  in  lona,  after 
presiding  there  for  thirty-four  years ;  and  his  followers,  until  the 
year  716,  protested  against  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  influenced 
the  whole  of  Europe.  Columba  wrote  to  Pope  Boniface,  with 
great  freedom  :  "  It  is  your  fault  if  you  have  deviated  from  the 
true  faith.''  Clement  of  lona  wrote  a  book  against  images  in  tho 
end  of  the  eighth  century. 


lona. 


"Lone  Islo!  tTiougli  storms  have  round  thy  turrets  rodoi, 

And  their  red  shafts  have  sear'd  thy  marble  bro-st. 
Thou  wert  'he  temple  of  the  Living  God, — ■ 

Teaching  earth's  millions  at  thy  shrine  to  bow. 
Though  desolation  wraps  thy  glories  now, 

Still  thou  wilt  be  a  marvel  through  all  time 
For  what  thou  hast  been  :  for  the  dead  who  rot 

Around  the  fragments  of  thy  towers  sublime, 
Once  taught  the  world,  and  sway'd  the  realm  of  tLonjjbt 

And  ruled  the  warriors  of  each  northern  clime. 


FALL    OF   ENGLAND'S   PROTESTANTISM.  119 


Dear  art  thou  for  thy  glories  long  gone  by : 
Virtue  and  trath,  religion's  self  must  die, 
Ere  thou  canst  perish  from  the  chart  of  fame, 
Or  darkness  shroud  the  halo  of  thy  name." 
Glasgow.  D.  M. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Fall  of  England's  Protestantism — Augustine's  Mission — Bede—  King  Alfred 
— General  Ignorance — The  Vaudois  Church — Early  Protests — Claude  of 
Turin — Vaudois  Colporteurs — Waldo — His  Translation  of  the  Bible — Sketch 
of  the  Vaudois  People — Their  Knowledge  of  Scripture — Innocent  III. — The 
Inquisition — Torments — Steadfastness — Torments — The  Vows  of  Luzerna — 
The  Bohemian  Christians. 

In  the  last  chapter  we  gave  you  an  outline  of  the  early  history 
of  the  Church  of  the  Book,  both  in  the  East  and  the  West,  after 
the  Christian  era.  We  can  now  only  sadly  tell  you,  that  in  Eng- 
land, in  the  seventh  century,  she  fell  under  the  power  of  the 
church  of  the  popes,  who  would  have  all  the  world  to  receive 
their  laws.  She  received  presents  from  Rome  of  the  relics  of 
the  Apostles  Peter  and  John, — "pretended  fragments  of  their 
chains,''  and  emblems  of  her  own.  Pope  Gregory  desired  her 
conversion  from  simple  faith  in  Christ  and  his  word,  to  faith  in 
the  Romish  Church  and  its  ceremonies,  and  he  sent  the  Arch- 
bishop Augustine  to  Canterbury,  to  convert  her.  This  Augus- 
tine, who  came  to  England  in  597,  must  by  no  means  be  con- 
founded with  Augustine,  bishop  of  Hippo,  born  354,  the  son 
whos.  soul  was  given  to  his  mother's  prayers,  after  perseverance 
on  her  part,  and  apparently  in  vain,  for  thirty  years,  and  who 
was,  in  most  respects,  "the  highest  ornament  of  the  African 
Church." 

At  that  time  there  existed  at  Bangor-Iscoed,  in  Wales,  a  mo- 
nastery of  3000  members,  governed  by  faithful  teachers.    Augus- 


120  THE    BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


tine  first  met  its  bishop,  Dionoth,  under  an  oak  at  Wigornia,* 
and  endeavoured  by  per^iasion  to  cause  him  and  his  flock  to 
acknowledge  the  pope ;  but  this  meeting  and  a  second  one  were 
in  vain.  Even  to  a  third  appeal,  the  Britons  said,  "  they  knew 
no  other  Master  but  Christ.'' 

'^Then,"  said  Augustine,  "if  you  will  not  unite  with  us  to 
show  the  Saxons  the  way  of  life,  you  shall  receive  from  them  the 
stroke  of  death."  "Argument  had  failed/'  says  D'Aubign^; 
"  now  for  the  sword." 

Shortly  after  the  death  of  Augustine,  Edelfrid,  an  Anglo- 
Saxon  king,  and  a  heathen,  destroyed  1200  of  these  Christians, 
in  the  act  of  praying  to  God  against  his  violence,  and  razed 
Bangor,  the  chief  seat  of  Christian  learning,  to  the  ground. 

lona,  too,  the  last  citadel  of  liberty,  gave  up  her  freedom  ere 
long,  through  Ilomi.sh  persuasion;  and  then  came  a  dark  night 
of  superstition  which  lasted  many  hundred  years. 

In  English  history,  while  this  night  endured,  we  must  now 
only  look  for  the  few  earnest  souls  that  here  and  there  awoke, 
and  searched  the  Scriptures  even  under  popish  bondage,  and  then 
turn  for  a  while  to  the  most  interesting  history  of  the  Yaudois 
Church  in  the  valleys  of  Piedmont. 

The  earliest  translation  of  the  New  Testament  into  the  tongue 
of  the  common  people  of  England  was  made  by  "  the  Venerable 
Bede,"  whose  "  Church  History"  we  have  often  quoted.  He 
lived  in  the  monastery  of  Jarrow  in  Durham,  and  was  a  very 
learned  monk,  having  uncommon  skill  in  Greek  and  Hebrew. 
He  studied  the  Scriptures  diligently  and  prayerfully.  He  re- 
ferred the  Archbishop  of  York  to  Titus  and  Timothy,  for  rules 
of  conduct  to  be  required  from  Christian  ministers,  and  he  evi- 
dently knew  himself  what  it  was  to  "fight  the  good  fight  of 
faith,"  by  strength  supplied  from  God. 

In  his  last  hour  he  was  engaged  in  dictating  to  one  of  his  dis- 
ciples the  last  verse  of  the  20th  chapter  of  John.  "  It  is  finished, 
master,"  said  the  scribe.     "It  is  finished,"  replied  the^dying 

*  AVorcester. 


ALFRED   THE    GREAT.  121 


saintj  "lift  up  my  head^  let  me  sit  in  my  ceil;  in  tte  place 
where  I  have  so  often  prayed ;  and  now,  glory  be  to  the  Father, 
to  the  Son,  and  to  the  Holy  Ghost;"  and  with  these  words  his 
spirit  fled. 

Could  it  have  taken  flight  more  happily  than  in  the  act  of 
translating  the  word  of  God  ? 

Would  you  like  to  read  a  piece  of  Anglo-Saxon,  as  it  was 
spoken  and  written  in  the  seventh  century?  "Fader  uren  thu 
arth  in  heofnum,  sic  gehalgud  noma  thin ;  to  cymeth  ric  thin.^' 
"  Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven,  hallowed  he  thy  name ;  thy 
kingdom  come.'' 

We  should  scarcely  know  this  ,old  Anglo-Saxon  now  for  Eng- 
lish ;  but  this  was  English  in  the  days  of  King  Alfred. 

Alfred  the  Great,  who  left  behind  him  an  undying  name, 
whether  as  a  Christian  or  a  king,  was  also  a  translator  of  the 
Scriptures.  His  early  education  was  scanty:  no  master  could  be 
found  in  all  Wessex  to  teach  him  Latin,  when  twelve  years  old  j 
but  when  he  grew  up  and  reigned,  he  was  called  "  the  wisest 
man  in  all  England.''  Being  aware  of  his  own  ignorance,  and 
seeing  that  ignorance  still  deeper  prevailed  among  his  people,  he 
drew  around  him  capable  teachers. 

Asser,  the  first  scholar  in  Wales,  and  a  man  of  piety,  after 
much  persuasion,  agreed  to  live  at  his  court  for  six  months  in  the 
year,  and  became  his  warmest  friend.  Alfred  learned  Latin  of 
Asser,  by  carrying  in  his  bosom  a  little  manuscript  book,  in 
which  every  quotation  of  Scripture  that  pleased  him  was  put 
down  by  his  friend,  and  translated.  These  the  king  constantly 
studied,  writing  them  also  himself.  He  turned  Bede's  valuable 
History  into  English,  and  attempted  to  translate  the  whole  Bible, 
though  he  only  accomplished  a  portion  of  it. 

He  was  engaged  upon  a  version  of  the  Psalms,  at  the  time  of 
his  death.  He  has  left  behind  him  some  manuscripts,  preserved 
as  treasures  in  museums,  and  a  most  fragrant  memory. 


II 


122  THE   BOOK  AND   ITS   STORi'. 


We  shall  now  pass  to  the  Swiss  valleys  and  the  Waldenses. 

So  early  as  A.  D.  290^  the  Vaudois  valleys  were  honoured  with 
a  martyr:  this  was  in  the  times  of  pagan  persecution,  in  the 
village  of  St.  Legond,  between  Luzerna  and  San  Martino. 

In  A.  D.  314,  the  arrogance  of  Sylvester,  bishop  of  Rome,  is 
said  to  have  occasioned  the  first  protest  of  the  churches  in  these 
valleys. 

In  A.  D.  374,  Ambrose,  bishop  of  Milan  and  the  north  of  Italy, 
protests  against  the  introduction  of  images  into  churches,  and 
shows  that  certain  superstitions  prevailing  elsewhere  had  not  been 
adopted  in  the  mountainous  regions  of  his  diocese. 

At  the  close  of  the  seventh  century  are  found  the  traces  of  a 
small  but  pure  church  in  these  districts,  which  some  suppose  a 
branch  of  Paulicians.  Retiring  from  the  insolence  and  oppression 
Df  the  Romish  clergy,  they  sought  a  hiding-place  in  the  Pays  de 
Vaud,  embosomed  in  the  Alps,  where  they  might  follow  their 
consciences,  and  enjoy  communion  with  God. 

In  the  ninth  century,  thirty  years  before  the  birth  of  our  noble 
Alfred,  Claude,  a  native  of  Spain,  became  Bishop  of  Turin.  He 
was  a  reformer,  and  studied  and  preached  the  Scriptures.  He 
found  the  churches  full  of  images,  and  he  fearlessly  cast  them 
out,  and  the  crosses  also,  ordering  them  to  be  burned.  He  told 
the  people,  that  if  they  painted  or  sculptured  Peter  or  Paul  upon 
their  walls,  and  worshipped  them,  they  might  as  well  have  con- 
tinued to  worship  Jupiter  and  Saturn.  •  ^-The  bones  of  saints  are 
no  more  to  be  reverenced,''  said  he,  "than  the  bones  of  cattle: 
and  a  piece  of  wood,  even  if  it  were  of  the  true  cross,  is  entitled 
to  no  veneration." 

This  bishop  was  greatly  opposed,  but  the  doctrines  he  taught 
sank  deep  into  the  minds  of  many,  who  cherished  them  in  secret, 
and  handed  them  down  to  their  children's  children.  He  took 
great  pains  to  explain  Scripture,  maintained  that  faith  alone 
saves  us,  and  that  all  the  other  apostles  were  equal  with  Peter. 
He  also  denied  that  prayer  after  death  could  be  of  any  use  to 
pnybody. 

This  man  laid,  thus  early,  the  solid  foundation  of  the  Roforma- 


THE   WALDENSES,    i:TO.  123 


tion,  whicli  took  place  700  years  afterward.  He  was  called  ^'ttie 
Bishop  of  the  Valleys.'^  ^'The  papists  own/'  says  Dr.  Allix, 
*Hhat  the  valleys  of  Piedmont,  which  belonged  to  the  bishopric 
of  Turin,  held  the  opinion  of  Claude  through  the  ninth  and  tenth 
centuries/' 

Through  these,  as  well  as  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  centuries, 
we  must  traverse  what  are  called  the  dark  ages,  each  one  darker 
than  the  other,  and  watch  the  light,  which  had  been  shed  abroad 
by  such  kings  as  Alfred  and  Charlemagne,  dying  out  amid  the 
personal  ignorance  of  kings,  priests,  and  people.  Modern  re- 
search, however,  developes  from  time  to  time  some  bright  par- 
ticular exceptions,  in  different  countries,  most  often  of  such  persons 
as  possessed  and  studied  the  Scriptures,  such  as  Anselm,  and 
Queen  Margaret  of  Scotland,  whose  husband  Malcolm  used  to 
handle  wi»th  great  respect,  and  even  kiss,  the  books  that  he  saw 
his  wife  peruse,  though  himself  so  illiterate  as  not  to  be  able  to 
understand  them. 

Comparatively  few  priests,  in  those  days,  understood  the  Latin 
service  of  their  own  church,  and  many  were  made  bishops  (it  is 
said)  who  could  neither  read  nor  write. 

It  was  about  the  year  1151,  that  in  several  parts  of  the  con- 
tinent were  noticed  little  communities,  chiefly  of  poor  and  labour- 
ing men,  distinguished  from  the  established  Roman  Church,  and 
who  possessed,  in  the  manuscript  Romaunt  version,  both  the  Old 
and  New  Testaments,  which  they  were  fond  of  committing  to 
memory.  Their  version  resembled  Latin:  it  was  this:  ^'In 
principio  erat  verbum,  et  verbum  erat  apud  Deum,  e  Deus  era  la 
paraula.  Aiso  era  el  comanzament  amb  Deu."  ''In  the  begin- 
ning was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word 
was  God.  The  same  was  in  the  beginning  with  God."  John  i. 
1,  2  These  persons  were  scattered  all  over  Europe :  in  France 
they  were  called  "  Tisserands,"  or  weavers,  ''Poor  Men  of  Lyons," 
^'  Waldenses,"  and  "  Albigenses ;"  in  Germany,  "  Cathari."  They 
existed  in  Spain,  and  even  in  Naples,  and  abounded  near  the 
Alps.  It  was  in  the  following  way  that  they  spread  abroad  their 
opinions.     ^' They  show  some  merchandise,  as  rings  or  robes,  to 


124  THE   BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


lords  and  ladies  to  buy.  If  they  sell  these,  and  are  asked,  Have 
you  any  more  to  sell  ?'  the  answer  is,  '  I  have  far  more  precious 
jewels  than  these,  which  I  will  give  you,  if  you  will  not  betray 
me.'  Safety  being  promised,  ^I  have  a  gem  shining  from  God, 
so  radiant  that  it  kindles  the  love  of  God  in  the  hearts  of  those 
who  possess  it.'  The  travelling  merchant  then  reads  some  chap- 
ter out  of  his  manuscript  of  the  Gospels;"  and  most  often  he  left 
it  with  the  listener. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  Peter  Waldo  was  the  first  foun- 
der of  the  little  churches  whose  messengers  thus  went  forth. 
He  was  called  "the  good  merchant  of  Lyons,"  and  was  himself 
an  earnest  inquirer  after  Divine  Truth,  who  abandoned  his  mer- 
chandise, distributed  his  wealth  to  the  poor,  and  desired  further 
instruction.  He  could  not  find  it  from  the  Papal  Church,  but 
he  did  find  it  in  the  Scriptures  themselves. 

He  was  a  man  of  learning:  he  could  read  the  Latin  Bible, 
which  was  the  only  entire  version  at  that  time  in  Europe;  and  he 
began  to  read  and  explain  it  to  the  poor  people  who  crowded  to 
hear  him;  and  it  is  certain  that  the  Christian  world  is  indebted 
to  him  for  the  Jirst  translation  of  parts  of  the  Scriptures  into  a 
modern  tongue,  after  the  Latin  ceased  to  be  a  living  language. 
Waldo's  translation,  or  that  which  is  supposed  to  have  been  his, 
is  called  ''the  Proven9al  or  Romaunt  version,"  which  was  con- 
demned and  forbidden  by  the  Council  of  Toulouse  in  1229,  be- 
cause it  was  written  in  the  tongue  of  the  people.  Would  you 
like  to  see  a  specimen  of  this  version,  so  precious  to  the  Wal- 
denses?  We  shall  take  it  for  you  from  "The  Bible  of  Every 
Land,"  which  is  a  "History  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures,"  as  col- 
lected from  all  sources,  with  specimens  of  the  versions.*  If  you 
can  read  French  and  Latin,  j^u  will  be  able  to  make  out  this 
Proven  gal  version,  for  it  is  nearly  allied  to  both  of  those  languages. 
"Lc  filh  era  al  comenczament,  e  lo  filh  era  enapres  Dio,  e  Dio  era 
lo  filh.  Aiczo  era  al  comenczament  enapres  Dio."  "In  the  be- 
ginning was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the 

*  Samuel  Bagstcr  and  Sons,  Paternoster  Row. 


THE    WALDENSES.  125 


Word  was  God.  The  same  was  in  the  beginning  with  God '' 
John  i.  1,  2. 

The  Archbishop  of  Lyons  endeavoured  to  silence  and  appre- 
hend Peter  Waldo;  but  he  escaped,  and  his  disciples  followed 
him.  Tks  doctrines  of  Waldo,  after  this,  spread  widely  through 
Europe.  He  himself  retired  to  Dauphiny.  Some  of  his  people 
joined  themselves  to  the  Vaudois  of  Piedmont,  and  communicated 
to  them  their  new  translation  of  parts  of  the  Bible, — a  rich  ad- 
dition to  the  spiritual  treasures  of  that  people. 

From  a  persecution  raised  by  Pope  Alexander  III.  and  Philip 
Augustus  of  France,  Waldo  fled  to  Bohemia,  where  he  died,  A.  D. 
1179.  He  was  a  very  extraordinary  person.  He  has  never  yet 
found  a  biographer;  but  he  ^'turned  many  to  righteousness,  and 
shall  shine  as  the  stars  for  ever  and  ever.'' 

The  Waldenses  were  a  most  simple  and  inoffensive  people,  yet 
their  history  has  been  little  else  than  a  series  of  persecutions, — 
so  long  and  so  bitter,  that  the  records  of  even  pagan  cruelty  are 
less  horrible  than  those  of  papal  vengeance.  One  of  their  ene- 
mies thus  describes  them  in  the  twelfth  century:  ''They  are 
clothed,''  says  he,  "in  the  skins  of  sheep;  they  have  no  linen; 
they  inhabit  flint-stone  huts  with  mud  roofs,  in  common  with 
their  cattle;  they  have  besides  two  large  caves  set  apart,  in 
which  they  conceal  themselves  when  hunted  down  for  their 
heresies.  Poor  as  they  are,  they  are  content,  and  live  separate 
from  the  rest  of  mankind.  Though  outwardly  so  savage  and 
rude,  they  can  all  read  and  write :  you  can  scarcely  find  a  boy 
among  them  who  cannot  give  you  an  intelligent  account  of  the 
f^ith  they  profess." 

They  never  mixed  in  marriage  with  the  Romanists ;  but  so  well 
was  their  fidelity  known,  that  many  Roman  Catholic  lords  prefer- 
red them  as  nurses  for  their  children,  and  came  far  to  seek  them 
for  that  purpose. 

They  were  more  remarkable  than  any  other  people  on  the  face 
of  the  earth  for  the  large  portions  of  Scripture  which  they  com_ 
mitted  to  memory.  Scripture  was  their  all:  and  as  the  Jews 
treasured  the  manuscripts  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  carried  them 


126  THE   BOOK   AND   IIS    STORY 


everywhere  in  their  wanderings,  musing  in  sullen  grief,  as  thej 
read  them,  on  the  ancient  glories  of  their  race,  often,  as  in  the 
persecutions  in  Spain,  winding  them  round  their  bodies,  to  part 
with  them  only  with  their  lives, — and  as  the  early  Christians 
prized  the  Gospels  and  Epistles,  gazing  with  intense  affection  upon 
their  title  therein  contained  to  "a  kingdom  yet  to  come," — so 
these  Waldenses  laid  up  rich  portions  alike  from  the  Old  and 
New  Testaments  in  their  hearts,  so  that  they  could  not  be  taken 
from  them. 

The  preparation  of  their  pastors  for  the  ministry  (whom  they 
called  '^barbes,"  the  Yaudois  term  for  "  uncle,''  perhaps  the  more 
to  distinguish  them  from  the  "  fathers,"  to  whom  the  Romish 
Church  can  trace  so  many  of  her  corruptions)  consisted  in  learn- 
ing by  heart  the  Gospels  of  Matthew  and  John,  all  the  Epistles, 
and  most  of  the  writings  of  David,  Solomon,  and  the  prophets. 

It  was  reckoned,  in  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  centuries,  that  a 
fair  copy  of  the  Bible,  from  a  convent,  would  have  cost  more  than 
sixty  pounds  of  our  money,  for  the  writing  only ;  and  that  a  skil- 
ful scribe  could  not  complete  one  in  less  than  ten  months  :  very 
precious,  therefore,  was  every  single  portion ;  and  as  their  enemies 
seized  upon  and  burnt  every  copy  of  which  they  could  hear,  socie- 
ties of  young  persons  were,  formed  in  the  Vaudois  valleys,  every 
member  of  which  was  trusted  to  preserve  in  his  memory  a  certain 
number  of  chapters  ;  and  when  they  assembled  for  worship,  which 
they  did  with  all  possible  precaution,  from  great  distances,  in  some 
hidden  mountain  gorge,  these  new  Levites,  standing  before  the 
face  of  the  minister,  would  recite,  one  after  another,  the  chapters 
of  the  priceless  Book,  for  which  they  often  paid  the  price  of  blood. 
Beiner  says,  that  he  knew  among  them  a  rustic  who  could  repeat 
the  whole  of  the  book  of  Job  by  heart,  and  many  who  repeated 
nearly  the  whole  of  the  New  Testament.  They  frequently  put 
their  enemies  to  shame.  A  monk  who  was  sent  to  preach  among 
them  to  try  and  convince  them  of  their  errors,  returned  in  confu- 
sion, saying,  that  he  had  never  in  all  his  life  known  so  much  of 
the  Scriptures  as  in  those  few  days  that  he  had  been  holding 
meetings  with  the  heretics. 


PERSECUTION,  127 


And  tlie  children  were  wortliy  of  their  elders.  When  a  nuni' 
ber  of  doctors  were  sent  among  them  from  the  Sorbonne  at  Paris, 
one  of  these  owned  that  he  had  understood  more  of  the  doctrines 
of  salvation  from  the  answers  of  the  little  children,  in  their  cate- 
chisms, than  by  all  the  disputations  he  had  ever  heard. 

Bernard  says  of  them,  that  they  '^actually  defended  their  here- 
Bies  by  the  words  of  Christ  and  his  apostles."  Eeneirius,  the  in- 
quisitor, their  bitter  enemy,  had,  alas  !  been  one  of  their  commu- 
nity for  seventeen  years,  and,  afterward  turning  against  them, 
well  knew  how  and  where  to  direct  his  malice ;  yet  even  he  can 
witness  nothing  worse  against  them  than  that  '^  they  instruct  those 
among  them  who  are  teachable  and  eloquent,  to  get  by  heart  the 
words  of  the  Grospels,  adorning  their  sect  with  the  goodly  words 
of  the  apostles  also,  that  the  doctrines  they  teach  may  be  accounted 
sound." 

Upon  this  Church  of  the  Book  came  down,  for  century  after 
century,  the  heaviest  vengeance  of  the  Church  of  Borne,  for  they 
rejected  all  her  ordinances,  disbelieved  all  her  miracles,  and  said 
she  was  the  Babylon  described  in  the  Revelation,  maintaining 
also,  that  we  ought  to  helieve  that  the  Holy  Scriptures  alone  con- 
tain all  things  necessary  to  our  salvation. 

On  them,  therefore,  fell  the  full  storm  of  the  anger  of  Innocent 
III.,  who  was  pope  at  that  time.  For  the  sake  of  crushing  this 
little  church  in  the  mountains,  he  established  the  Inquisition,  and 
proclaimed  a  crusade  against  all  who  held  their  doctrines,  which, 
indeed,  were  rapidly  extending.  The  pure  faith,  cradled  in  the 
Alps,  was  carried  down  into  the  surrounding  plains  ]  multitudes 
in  northern  Italy,  along  the  Rhine,  through  the  south  of  France^ 
and  within  the  borders  of  Spain,  walked  by  the  blessed  light  of 
Scripture,  working  with  their  hands  at  the  loom  also.  This  was 
the  church  that  did  its  duty  to  the  world ;  and  it  was  going  on 
peacefully,  conquering  and  to  conquer,  when  Rome  perceived  her 
own  danger,  and  summoned  all  the  kings,  who  laid  their  swords 
and  treasures  at  her  feet,  to  engage  with  her  to  cut  off  these  people 
from  the  earth,  and  put  out  their  light  for  ever. 

This,  however,  wai?  no  easy  task  :  above  800,000  of  them  ivere 


128  THE   BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


scattered  over  Europe.  It  took  300  years  to  burn,  to  slay,  and  to 
destroy  tliem ;  and,  great  as  was  the  slaughter,  frightful  the  tor- 
tures inflicted,  they  lived  on ;  they  are  living  to  this  day.  The 
doctrines  of  the  Waldenses.  were  conveyed  from  France  into 
England,  at  the  time  when  the  English  were  masters  of  Gruienne, 
and  were  uttered  in  the  thunders  of  their  own  Wiclif  against  the 
same  papal  domination. 

The  snowy  peaks  of  the  Alps  have  been  witnesses  to  thousands 
of  murders.  The  people  very  often  suffered  for  their  faith  with- 
out resistance ;  but  sometimes,  armed  with  wooden  crossbows,  the 
men  defended  the  narrow  passes  of  their  valleys,  and  repulsed 
their  enemies,  while  the  poor  women  and  children  on  their  knees 
entreated  the  Lord  to  protect  his  people  and  preserve  their  liberty : 
and  even  then  their  language  was,  "  I  will  not  trust  in  my  bow." 

Occasionally  they  defended  them^lves  with  such  courage  and 
success,  that  for  a  little  while  their  perseeutore  left  the  country. 
The  people  had  hitherto  only  the  New  Testament,  and  some  books 
of  the  Old,  translated  into  the  Waldensian  tongue,  of  which  we 
gave  you  a  specimen;  but,  in  1535,  they  also  participated  in  the 
benefits  of  the  Reformation,  and  possessed  themselves  of  the  whole 
Bible  in  a  printed  form.  Their  universal  spirit  spoke  in  the  words 
of  their  heroic  pastor,  Geoffry  Varaille  :  ''  You  will  sooner  want 
wood  wherewith  to  burn  us,  than  men  ready  to  burn  in  witness  of 
their  faith  :  from  day  to  day  we  multiply,  and  the  word  of  God 
endureth  for  ever." 

"  Flayed  alive,  and  then  crushed  with  heavy  stones,  east  down 
from  towers,  their  flesh  shredded  with  iron  whips,  and  then  beaten 
to  death  with  lighted  brands,  starved  in  the  prisons,  sufl"ocated  in 
vast  numbers  even  in  their  caves  of  refuge,  mothers  and  children 
driven  up  by  hundreds  to  perish  in  the  upper  snows,  their  flesh 
cut  alive  from  their  bones,  their  bones  broken  between  iron  bars, 
their  infants  hurled  from  the  heights,  or  dashed  against  the  rocks, 
and  their  brains  eaten  by  their  murderers  V  ^'  The  tyrants  of  all 
past  times  and  ages  contrived  nothing,  in  comparison  with  these 
persecutions  of  the  Vaudois,  that  might  be  called  barbarous  and 
•nhuman."     This  was  the  language  of  the  remonstrance  made. 


THE   BOHEMIAN    CHRISTIANS.  129 


we  rejoice  t  j  &ay,  by  the  Commonweal tli  of  England  to  tlie  Duke 
of  Savoy. 

We  must  close  our  sketch  of  their  bitter  history  with  one  scene, 
which  took  place  on  the  21st  of  January,  1561,  in  the  valley  of 
Luzerna.  The  evening  before,  a  proclamation  had  been  published, 
that  within  twenty  four  hours  the  inhabitants  must  decide  on  going 
to  mass,  or  be  subjected  to  fire,  to  sword,  to  cord, — the  pope's 
three  arguments, — and  the  inhabitants  of  two  valleys  met  to  con- 
sider what  should  be  done.  In  the  midst  of  the  kneeling  people, 
their  ministers  pronounced  these  words  :  "  We  here  promise,  our 
hands  on  the  Bible,  and  in  the  solemn  presence  of  God,  to  main- 
tain the  Bible  whole  and  alone,  though  it  be  at  the  peril  of  our 
lives,  in  order  that  we  may  transmit  it  to  our  children,  pure  as 
we  received  it  from  our  fathers.  And  we  also  promise  help  to 
our  persecuted  brothers,  not  relying  upon  man,  but  upon  God." 

The  next  morning  they  rushed  to  the  Protestant  church,  which 
the  papiats  had  filled  with  images,  crosses,  and  beads,  and,  like 
Claude  of  Turin,  threw  them  into  the  street,  and  trampled  them 
under  foot.  We  must  not  stay  to  tell  of  their  further  baptism 
of  blood,  but  merely  mention,  that  130  years  afterward,  when 
they  returned  to  the  valleys  from  which  they  had  been  exiled, 
they  met  again  on  this  very  spot,  the  hill  of  Sibaond,  and  renewed 
the  same  oath  to  God,  and  to  each  other,'*' 


We  do  not  forget  the  Bohemian  Christians,  or  the  United 
Brethren  ;  they  too  were  miserably  persecuted.  They  said  truly, 
that  the  rack  was  their  breakfast,  and  the  flames  their  dinner. 
They  were  driven  out  of  their  villages,  and  their  sick  were  thrown 
into  the  open  fields.  They  hid  themselves  in  thickets. and  clefts 
of  the  rock?,  making  no  fires,  except  by  night,  lest  the  smoke 
should  lead  the  way  to  their  abodes ;  and  around  those  nigUt- 
fires  ?7iey  read  the  Scriptures  for  whole  nights  together — *^men 
of  whom  the  world  was  not  worthy." 


See  "  The  Israel  of  the  Alp?/'  by  Dr.  Mustin. 


130  THE    BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


And  we  do  not  forget  the  Huguenots  in  FrancC;  springing 
from  the  same  parent  stem  as  the  Waldenses,  nor  the  massacre 
of  St.  Bartholomew,  nor  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantes; 
but  it  is  enough  :  you  have  seen  enough  of  the  martyrs  of  the 
valleyS;  dressed  in  robes  of  fire  and  blood,  and  we  must  pass 
onward  and  show  you  their  descendants  in  Britain — the  men 
who  gave  us  the  Bible — the  men  of  the  lieformation. 

"Avenge,  0  Lord!  thy  slaughter'd  saints,  whose  bones 
Lie  scatter'd  on  the  Alpine  mountains  cold; 
E'en  them,  who  kept  thy  truth  so  pure  of  old. 
When  all  our  fathers  worshipp'd  stocks  and  stones, 
Forget  not;  in  thy  book  record  their  groans, 
Who  were  thy  sheep,  and  in  their  ancient  fold 
Slain  by  the  bloody  Piedmontese,  that  roll'd 
Mother  with  infant  down  the  rocks  ;  their  moans 
The  vales  redoubled  to  the  hills,  and  they 
To  heaven  ;  their  martyr'd  blood  and  ashes  sow 
O'er  all  the  Italian  fields,  where  still  doth  sway 
The  triple  tyrant;  that  from  these  may  grow 
A  hundred-fold,  who,  having  learnt  thy  way. 
Early  may  fly  the  Babylonian  wo !" — Milton. 


CHAPTER  YII. 

The  Earthquake  Council — John  Wiclif — The  Law  made  at  Toulouse — Ro- 
mish Revenge  on  "Wiclif — Ilis  Translation  of  the  Scriptures — Lollard  Mar- 
tyrs— Sawtre — Lady  Jane  Boughton — Lord  Cobham — Black-friars'  Monas- 
tery— Site  of  Bible-House — Printing — Anger  of  Monks — Use  of  Monasteries 
— Reading  and  AVriting  of  the  Scriptures  at  Clugni — Translations  prepar- 
ing— Gift  of  the  Yaudbis  Church  to  France — Olivetan's  Version — De  Sacy's 
Version — Colporteurs — Translations  of  the  Bible  extant  up  to  the  Sixteenth 
Century — Particulars  concerning  Each. 

(.)n  the  17th  of  May,  in  the  year  1378,  when  King  Richard 
II.  was  but  seventeen  years  of  age,  being  the  year  after  the  in- 
surrection of  Wat  Tyler,  a  meeting  took  place  at  the  monastery 
of  the  Blac-k-fri-irs  in  London,  composed  of  eight  bishops,  fourteen 


MONASTERY   OF   BLACK-FRIARS.  131 


doctors  of  law  and  six  of  diviuitj,  with  fifteen  friars  and  four 
monks,  forming  in  all  a  council  of  forty-seven  great  men,  to  con- 
sider how  they  should  put  down  cert^lin  opinions  which  were 
hateful  to  them,  and  prosecute  the  people  suspected  of  holding 
them ;  one  of  whom,  and,  indeed,  their  leader,  was  John  Wiclif,  a 
priest,  who  had  been  educated  at  Oxford.  He  had  not  only  de- 
livered many  lectures^on  the  corniptions  of  the  Romish  Church, 
to  which  he  belonged,  but  he  had  also  spent  a  great  part  of  his 
life  in  translating,  first  the  New  Testament,  and  then  the  Old, 
out  of  Latin  into  English,  for  the  use  of  the  people.  He  was  at 
this  time  about  fifty-four  years  of  age,  and  was  called  ''  the 
Gospel  Doctor,"  famous  for  his  disputes  with  the  mendicant 
friars.  These  friars  afi'ected  to  be  poor,  and,  with  a  wallet  on 
their  back,  begged  with  a  piteous  air  both  from  high  and  low; 
but,  at  the  same  time,  they  had  great  houses  of  their  own,  in 
which  there  was  much  waste,  wore  at  home  costly  clothes,  gave 
great  feasts,  and  had  many  jewels  and  treasures.  They  would 
kidnap  children  from  their  parents,  and  shut  them  up  in  monas- 
teries. 

It  happened,  however,  just  as  this  great  synod  at  Black-friars 
began  to  discuss  the  four-and-twenty  heresies  and  errors  which 
they  had  met  to  consider,  the  city  of  London  was  shaken  by  an 
earthquake,  when  some  of  the  assembled  doctors  doubted  whether 
the  object  of  their  meeting  might  not  be  displeasing  to  Heaven; 
but  their  president.  Archbishop  Courtenay,  declared  that  it  needed 
an  earthquake  of  opinion,  and  a  violent  struggle  to  be  made  by 
the  Roman  Church,  to  remove  such  teachers  as  John  Wiclif; 
'^  whereat  the  meeting  proceeded,  and  condemned  all  his  opinions, 
declaring  that  he  should  certainly  not  to  be  permitted  to  preach 
them  any  more." 

He  was  soon  afterward  silenced  from  preaching  in  Oxford, 
which  gave  him  the  more  leisure  for  his  Bible-work.  In  a  large 
circle  of  bishops,  doctors,  priests,  and  students,  Wiclif  raised  his 
noble  head,,  and,  turning  a  look  on  Archbishop  Courtenay,  which 
made  him  shrink  away,  uttered  these  simple,  earnest  words : 
"  The  truth  shall  prevail."     Having  thus  spoken,  he  prepared  t® 


132 


THE   BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


leave  tlie  court ;  and,  like  bis  Divine  Master,  lie  passed  through 
the  midst  of  them,  and  none  ventured  to  stop  him.  He  then 
withdrew  to  his  cure  at  Lutterworth.  He  finished  his  translation 
in  1380,  four  years  before  he  died,  and  gave  one  manuscript  of 
the  Old  Testament,  written  on  vellum  with  his  own  hand,  to  St. 
John's  College  in  Oxford.  At  this  time  being  ill,  four  friars 
and  four  aldermen,  supposing  him  near  death,  came  to  his  sick 
chamber,  to  inquire  if  he  would  recant  his  opinions.  Wiclif 
beckoned  his  servants  to  raise  him  in  his  bed,  and  fixing  his  eyes 
on  his  visitors,  exclaimed,  "  I  shall  not  die,  but  live  ;  and  shall 
again  declare  the  evil  deeds  of  the  friars  1'^ 


Lutterworth  Church. 


England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland  were  at  this  time  covered  with 
aionasteries,  and  filled  with  friars,  who  wore  robes  of  black, 
white,  and  gray.  The  mendicant  or  begging  friars,  especially, 
were  always  gathering  up  wealth  for  thei»  church,  and  binding 
the  people  with  fresh  chains  of  superstition.  Wiclif  saw  that 
they  trampled  the  Bible  under  foot,  by  their  overbearing  authority. 


WICLIF.  133 

and  he  resolved  that  the  people  of  England  should  have  the 
Bible,  and  compare  it  with  the  voice  of  the  friars. 

Being  a  very  learned  and  thoughtful  man,  he  may  probably 
have  known  for  himself,  from  the  page  of  history  gathered  from 
all  ages,  the  fact,  that  the  great  instrument  of  human  improve- 
ment was  to  be  found  in  the  circulation  of  the  Scriptures  in  the 
vulgar  tongue. 

He  recovered  from  his  sickness,  and  completed  his  work  : 
there  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  whole  was  finished,  and  many 
copies  transcribed  and  spread  abroad,  some  time  before  the  re- 
former's death,  which  happened  in  1884  :  and  after  his  death, 
his  doctrines  spread  so  fast,  that  a  writer  of  that  day  has  angrily 
recorded,  that  a  man  could  not  meet  two  people  on  the  road,  but 
one  of  them  was  a  disciple  of  John  Wiclif ;  yet  these  poor  fol- 
lowers, in  that  age  of  manuscript,  eould,  perhaps,  only  copy  parts 
of  the  precious  Book  which  had  been  translated  for  them,  which 
they  often  did  into  small  volumes,  that  they  might  the  easier 
hide  them,  for  the  having  and  reading  of  which,  as  in  the  times 
of  old,  people  who  were  detected  were  burnt  to  death,  with  the 
little  books  hanging  round  their  necks. 

The  Council  of  Toulouse,  held  in  1229,  was  the  first  that  for- 
bade, in  definite  form,  the  reading  of  the  Bible.  "  We  also  for- 
bid the  common  people  to  possess  any  of  the  hooks  of  the  Old  or 
New  Testaments,  except  perhaps  the  Psalter,  or  the  Breviary,  or 
the  Hours  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  which  some  out  of  devotion  icish 
to  have ;  hut  having  any  even  of  these  hoohs  translated  into  the 
vulgar  tongue,  ice  strictly  forhid.'' 

Now, you  know  the  '^ Breviary''  and  the  "Hours  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin"  are  not  parts  of  the  Bible  at  all ;  but  this  distinction 
the  friars  did  not  wish  the  illiterate  and  blinded  people  to  per- 
ceive. They  said,  that  "  alas  !  the  gospel  pearl  was  cast  abroad 
and  trodden  under  foot  of  swine,  and  that  the  gospel  which 
Christ  had  given  to  be  kept  by  the  clergy  was  now  made  for  evei 
common  to  the  laity. ^' 

Until  Wiclif  undertook  this  task,  no  one  appears  to  have  exe- 
cuted a  coTTipZc^e  version  of  the  Bible  for  England.     In  spite  of 


134 


THE    BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


all  the  efforts  made  to  deprive  him  of  this  honour,  it  remains  hia 
own.  All  the  search  made  by  antiquaries  establishes  the  fact. 
He  gave  the  whole  Bible  to  the  people,  he  gave  it  without  note 
or  comment,  and  he  was  the  first  man  that  did  so. 

Ten  years  after  Wiclif 's  death,  a  bill  was  brought  into  the 
House  of  Lords  to  forbid  the  reading  of  the  English  Bible. 
Twenty-four  years  after  his  death,  (1408,)  a  convocation  was 
held  in  St.  Paul's  to  ordain  that  no  book  of  his  should  be  read, 
either  in  public  or  private,  under  pain  of  excommunication ;  but 
it  was  all  in  vain.     His  writings,  and  especially  his  translation 


Wiclif's  Monument. 


of  the  Bible,  found  their  way  to  all  classes,  and  the  latter  became 
from  that  hour  ^'  the  Book  of  the  peoj)le.''  Forty-four  years 
after  his  death  according  to  a  decree  of  the  Council  of  Constance, 
his  grave  was  ransacked  for  his  "  body  and  bones,"  which  were 
burnt,  and  the  ashes  cast  into  the  brook  Swift,  which  runs  near 
his  church  at  Lutterworth.  This  brook  conveyed  them  to  the 
A.von^  the  Avon  into  the  Severn,  the  Severn  into  the  narrow 
,3eas,  they  into  the  main  ocean,  and  thus  the  ashes  of  Wiclif  were 
the  emblem  of  his  doctrines,  gathered  from  the  Bible,  and  now 
dispersed  all  the  w  Drld  over. 

We  have  given  3  )u  a  sketch  of  the  monument  now  isrectcd  in  hia 


WICLIF. 


135 


^7icli^s  pulpit,  the  first  from  which  the  English  Reformation  was  preached. 


cliurcli,  the  noble  old  cliurcli  of  St.  Mary,  still  standing  at  Lutter- 
worth, and  often  visited  for  the  reformer's  sake;  and  also,  through 
the  kindness  of  its  present  incumbent,  you  have  the  picture  of  his 
pulpit,  the  first  pulpit  from  which  resounded  the  truths  of  the 
Reformation :  it  is  finished  within  in  the  rough  style  of  the  time, 
the  wood  having  been  merely  cut  smooth  with  the  axe.  The 
table  at  Vnich  he  wrote,  the  chair  in  which  he  died,  and  th 
velvet  robe  (now  in  shreds  and  tatt(irs)  which  he  used  to  wear, 
still  remain.  Nearly  300  of  his  sermons  are  preserved:  they 
consist  chiefly  of  simple  expositions  of  Scripture,  and  treat  much 
of  the  atonement  of  Christ  and  the  work  of  the  Spirit. 

In  Wiclif's  days,  the  great  doctrine  proclaimed  by  the  priests 
of  Rome  was,  that  to  obtain  pardon  for  sin,  penance  must  be 
borne :  the  people  were  to  fast, .  to  go  bareheaded,  to  wear  nu 


136  THE   BOOK  AND   ITS    STORY. 


linenj  and  to  wliip  themselves.  Sometimes  twenty  persons  might 
be  seen  in  procession,  wearing  hats  with  red  crosses,  and  stripped 
to  the  waist,  the  first  four  lashing  themselves  as  they  went  along 
with  whips  of  knotted  cord,  which  drew  from  them  streams  of 
blood.  Twice  a  day,  in  St.  Paul's  church,  did  these  men  fulfil 
their  self-imposed  torture ;  tens  of  thousands  went  on  pilgrimage 
to  Rome,  in  pairs,  visiting  all  the-  churches  by  the  way,  and 
giving  money  to  the  priests;  then  the  priests  told  them,  that 
if  they  would  give  still  more  money,  they  might  find  indulgence 
from  all  this  hardship  :  they  might  have  indulgences  even  for 
murder,  lying,  and  stealing,  if  they  could  pay  for  them.  These 
indulgences  were  sold  openly  in  the  market-places  of  the  chief 
cities  of  Europe.  Wiclif  preached  the  doctrine  of  reformation 
from  all  this,  in  his  puljiit,  as  well  as  by  his  works.  He  was  an 
earnest  teacher  of  the  Lutterworth  poor.  He  visited  them  in 
their  cottages.  He  was  familiar  with  the  home  of  poverty  and 
the  house  of  mourning.  While  administering  the  Lord's  Supper, 
he  was  seized  with  insensibility,  fell  on  the  pavement,  and  died 
two  days  afterward, — 29th  December,  1384. 

You  perceive  he  did  not  die  a  martyr,  although  he  fully  ex- 
pected and  was  ready  to  do  so.  His  followers  did,  in  great 
numbers. 

William  Sawtre  was  the  first  man  burnt  in  England  for  the 
Reformation's  sake.  He  was  a  clergjmian  in  London,  who  openly 
taught  the  doctrines  of  Wiclif,  and  declared,  that  ''a  priest  was 
more  bound  to  preach  the  word  of  God,  than  to  j^atter  his  priyers 
at  certain  hours;"  for  which,  and  other  statements,  glorying  in 
the  cross  of  Christ,  and  supported  by  Divine  grace,  he  was  cast 
into  the  flames  of  martyrdom,  a.  d.  1400. 

There  is  an  account  of  a  martyrdom,  in  1410,  of  John  Bradby, 
one  of  Wiclifs  followers,  who  was  carried  to  Smithfield,  and 
there,  in  a  cask,  burnt  to  ashes.  At  his  execution  was  present 
Henry  V.,  then  Prince  of  Wales, — the  ''Prince  Henry"  of 
Shakspeare, — who,  pitjnng  his  sufferings,  offered  him  pardon,  if 
he  would  recant,  and  had  him  taken  out  of  the  fire,  promising, 
as  he  was  already  lamed,  to  allow  him  threepence  a  day  during 


LOLLARD    MARTYRS.  137 


life;  but  the  martyr,  rejecting  the  proffer,  and  refusing  to  deny 
his  faith,  was  again  thrown  into  the  flames,  and  his  soul  ascended 
thence  to  heaven. 

The  first  female  martyr  in  England  was  Lady  Jane  Boughton. 
She  was  burned  at  eighty  years  of  age,  "  being  known  to  read  the 
•  Scriptures.'^  "Her  daughter,"  says  Southey,  "the  Lady  Young, 
suffered  afterward  the  same  cruel  death  with  equal  constancy." 

These  sufferers  were  called  "Lollards,"  and  the  most  ftimous 
among  them  was  Lord  Cobham,  in  his  younger  days  the  gay 
and  giddy  favourite  of  Heniy  V.,  but  who,  becoming  acquainted 
with  the  Bible,  through  Wiclif's  translation,  "learned  to  abstain 
from  sin."  This  noble  soldier  made  no  secret  of  his  opinions. 
At  a  great  expense,  he  collected,  copied,  and  dispersed  the 
Scriptures  among  the  common  people,  and  even  maintained 
preachers  to  travel  about  and  declare  Wiclif's  doctrines.  His  life 
and  trials  are  extremely  interesting.  He  escaped  from  the  Tower 
of  London,  by  advantage  of  a  dark  night,  and  hid  himself  among 
the  Black  Mountains  in  South  Wales  for  four  years.  He  was  at 
last  taken  and  roasted  to  death  over  a  slow  fire,  in  St.  Giles's- 
fields,  in  London,  now  covered  with  the  abodes  of  poor  L'ish  peo- 
ple, but  which  was  then  a  thicket  v/here  the  persecuted  Lollards 
met  for  worship  at  the  dead  of  night. 

We  must  only  mention  (to  induce  you  to  seek  out  their  his- 
tories) the  names  of  John  Huss  and  Jerome  of  Prague,  who  suf- 
fered on  the  continent  for  the  same  principles,  and  add  a  word  or 
two  more  about  the  monastery  of  the  Black-friars,  where  the 
"  earthquake  council"  was  held.  This  was  built  in  the  time  of 
Edward  I.  and  his  queen,  and  comprised  a  very  large  territory, 
near  the  Old  Castle  Baynard.  They  had  houses  and  shops  within 
their  bounds.  It  was  surrendered  to  Henry  VIII.  in  the  thir- 
tieth year  of  his  reign,  at  the  time  of  the  suppression  of  monaste- 
ries, and  he  granted  it  to  private  persons  for  houses  and  gardens. 

The  Black-friars'  church  was  large,  and  richly  furnished  with 
ornaments.  "Herein,"  says  Stow,  the  old  chronicler,  "divers 
parliaments  and  other  great  meetings  have  been  holden.  Pc\r- 
liaments  begun  at  Westminster  were   adjourned  to  the  Black 

12* 


138  THE    BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


friars'."  In  1522,  the  Emperor  Charles  V.  was  lodged  tbere:  ia 
1529,  Cardinal  Campcggio,  with  Cardinal  Wolsey,  sate  at  Black- 
friars'  to  question  the  king's  marriage  with  Queen  Catherine,  be- 
fore whom  the  king  and  queen  were  also  cited  to  appear. 

The  same  year  also  sat  there  that  parliament  by  which  Cardi- 
nal Wolsey  himself  was  condemned.  Here,  too,  was  buried  the 
heart  of  Queen  Eleanor,  the  foundress.  One  of  the  priors  was 
constrained  to  pave  the  High  street  round  about  the  Channel 
walls,  from  the  Fleur-de-lis  toward  the  hill  at  Creed-lane  end,  as 
belonging  to  his  demesne;  which  particular,  and  others  that 
might  be  found  in  the  story  of  the  persecution  of  these  Black- 
friars  by  the  White-friars,  prove  the  large  extent  of  ground  within 
their  liberty.  It  is  very  satisfactory  to  consider,  that,  475  years 
after  those  friars  and  doctors  held  their  council  to  cut  off  the 
doctrines  of  Wiclif  from  the  earth,  and  to  declare  that  he  should 
not  circulate  the  Bible, — those  men  being  all  dead,  and  their 
monastery  and  its  cloisters  entirely  swept  away, — there  is  stand- 
ing in  its  stead,  within  their  precincts  and  boundaries,  in  Earl 
street,  Blackfriars,  the  house  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society,  which  now  holds  its  Jubilee,  and  renders 
joyful  praise  to  God,  who  has  caused  it  to  spread,  directly  and 
indirectly,  in  the  last  fifty  years,  forty-six  millions  of  copies  of 
that  precious  word  of  God,  and  to  give  rise  and  assistance  to  some 
thousands  of  similar  societies,  both  at  home  and  abroad  ! 

"Wiclif  "rests  from  his  labours,  and  bis  works  do  follow  him." 
His  old  version  is  very  curious  :  "  Therefore  whanne  Jhesus  was 
borun  in  Bethleem  of  Juda,  in  the  days  of  king  Eroude  :  lo 
astronomy  ens  cam  en  fro  the  eest  to  Jerusalem  and  seiden,  where 
is  he  that  is  borun  king  of  Jewis  ?  for  we  han  seen  his  sterre  in 
the  eest;  and  we  comen  for  to  worschipe  hym."  Matt.  ii.  1,  2. 

When  Wiclif  made  his  translation,  he  could  not  foresee  the 
wonderful  invention  which,  occurring  seventy  years  after  his 
death,  would  in  the  present  times  enable  the  Bible  Society  to 
print  the  whole  Bible,  and  sell  it  for  less  than  one  shilling ! 

In  his  time,  the  price  of  a  Bible,  fairly  wi^itten  in  manuscript, 
with  «i  commentary,  was  not  less  than  thirty  pounds, — a  most 


INVENTION    OF   PRINTING.  139 


enormous  sum,  for  it  would  have  more  tlian  built  two  arches  of 
London  bridge,  and  no  workingman  could  ever  have  attained  it, 
with  his  pay  of  three  halfpence  a  day,  unless,  indeed,  he  had 
been  fifteen  years  in  working  for  it. 

Yet  still  Wiclif's  version  spread  widely,  even  in  manuscript, 
in  distinct  portious,  throughout  England.  The  art  of  printing 
was  invented  by  John  Gutenburg,  at  Mayence  on  the  Rhine,  in 
whose  mind  the  idea  had  been  secretly  working  for  twenty  years; 
but,  being  very  poor,  he  was  obliged  to  confide  his  secret  to 
Faust,  a  goldsmith  of  that  place,  who  agreed  to  find  the  money 
necessary  to  make  types  and  presses. 

In  1450,  the  first  book  in  the  world  was  printed,  and  it  is  be- 
lieved that  that  book  was  a  Bible. 

But  it  was  a  Bible  in  Latin  :  it  was  called  "  tbe  Mazarin 
Bible.''  It  was  beautifully  printed ;  and  when  ofi'ered  for  sale, 
not  a  human  being  except  the  artists  themselves  could  tell  how 
the  work  had  been  done.  It  was  in  two  volumes,  and  only  eigh- 
teen copies  of  it  are  known  to  exist, — four  on  vellum,  and  four- 
teen on  paper.  In  1827,  one  of  the  vellum  copies  sold  for  fivo 
hundred  pounds. 

These  were  the  Bibles  which  were  said  to  have  caused  Faust 
to  have  been  suspected,  in  Paris,  where  he  sold  several  of  them, 
as  a  practiser  of  magic,  which  obliged  him  to  reveal  his  secret. 

When  the  Bible  had  been  thus  first  printed  in  Latin,  it  was 
soon  followed  by  other  translations.  In  1488,  the  Old  Testa- 
ment was  printed  in  Hebrew,  the  original  language  in  which  God 
had  caused  it  to  be  written )  and  thirty  years  after  that  time,  the 
New  Testament  also  was  printed  in  its  original  language,  Greek, 
by  the  learned  Erasmus,  of  Rotterdam,  who,  while  he  was  raised 
up  of  God,  as  the  most  accomplished  scholar  of  his  time,  to  per- 
form this  particular  work,  would  not  (as  he  says)  have  ventured 
upon  it,  had  he  foreseen  the  '■'■  horrible  tempest''  of  conflicting 
opinions  that  its  publication  would  raise. 

It  was  thus  treated  by  the  papal  party :  some  of  tlie  monks 
were  so  ignorant  as  to  preach  from  their  pulpits,  '^that  there  was 
now  a  new  language  discovered,  called  Greek,  and  another  new 


140  THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


language,  called  Hebrew,  and  that  people  must  beware  of  them, 
since  these  languages  produced  all  the  heresies."  A  vicar  cf 
Croydon  in  Surrey,  in  a  sermon  which  he  preached  at  Paul's- 
cross  about  this  time,  declared,  "We  must  certainly  root  out 
printing,  or  printing  will  root  out  us;"  in  which  conclusion  the 
friar  was  tolerably  right,  in  more  ways  than  one. 

Printing  did  at  once  interfere  with  the  most  innocent  and 
praiseworthy  occupation  of  those  who  spent  their  lives  in  con- 
vents,-^transcription  of  the  Bible  and  other  works,  which  was 
also  a  great  source  of  gain  to  the  writers.  As  much  reference 
has  been  made  to  the  corruptions  of  the  system  of  which  monk- 
ery formed  a  part,  it  is  but  just  to  point  out  to  you  what  had 
been,  through  all  the  dark  nges,  the  real  use  of  convents,  with 
regard  to  tlie  preservation  of  the  Scriptures. 

There  had  lived,  in  the  year  927,  a  noble  Frank,  named  Odo, 
who  became  abbot  of  Clugni  in  Burgundy,  and  who  was  a  re- 
former in  his  way;  that  is,  he  introduced  among  monks  in  general, 
more  rigid  discipline.  His  convent  and  its  rules  became  so  famous, 
that  many  other  convents  followed  the  same.  Hugh,  another  abbot 
of  Clugni,  had  10,000  monks  under  his  superintendence.  They 
set  out  well,  by  saying,  that  the  most  perfect  rule  of  life  is  con- 
tained in  the  Old  and  New  Testaments ;  and  though  they  invented 
a  great  variety  of  forms,  and  placed  heavy  burdens  on  men's 
shoulders,  which  the  word  of  God  had  not  ordered  them  to  bear, 
still  their  rule  enjoined  the  assiduous  study  of  the  Bible.  The 
monks  who  could  read  well  were  appointed  in  their  turns  as  the 
readers  at  meals.  They  read  the  writings  of  the  fathers  alternately 
with  the  Bible.  The  winter  evenings  at  Clugni  were  really  spent 
in  listening  to  large  portions  of  the  word  of  God.  The  book  of 
Genesis,  in  the  long  winter  nights,  was  read  through  in  a  week ; 
Isaiah,  in  six  evenings ;  and  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  at  two 
sittings.  The  monks  laboured  with  their  hands,  as  by  the  rule  of 
lona ;  and  great  care  was  taken  that,  during  the  reading,  no  one 
should  be  overcome  of  sleep.  The  reader  sat  in  an  elevated  place, 
and  the  hearers  on  benches  ranged  along  the  wall ;  ard  as  there 
was  no  light  exceot  where  the  reader  sat,  one  of  the  monks  waii 


THE    MONKS    OF   CLUGNI.  141 


uppointed  :o  walk  round  with  a  wooden  lantern,  open  only  at  one 
side,  to  perceive  if  any  brother  had  fallen  asleep.  If  any  one  was 
asleep,  nothing  was  said,  but  the  lantern  was  set  down  with  the 
light  toward  his  face  to  awaken  him,  and  directly  he  awoke,  he 
knew  he  was  to  take  the  place  of  the  lantern-bearer,  and  make  the 
round^till  he  found  another  monk  asleep. 

*'  Every  monk  was  expected  to  know  the  book  of  Psalms  bj 
heart,  and  some  rules  required  the  learning  of  the  New  Testament. 
The  number  of  psalms  required  to  be  repeated  daily  was  138 ; 
but  at  Clugni,  fourteen  were  taken  away,  on  account  of  weak 
brethren."* 

These  proceedings  are  really  so  like  those  that  were  customary 
at  lona,  that  they  cause  us  to  look  back  once  more  to  the  records 
of  the  ancient  British  Church,  among  which  we  find  the  following  : 
*/  Before  Columba  died,  his  chief  seminary,  lona,  was  in  such  a 
state,  that  he  was  able  to  speak  with  confidence  of  its  future  fame. 
His  disciples  supported  its  credit  for  many  ages,  and  supplied  not 
only  their  own  but  other  nations  with  learned  and  pious  teachers." 
"  From  this  nest  of  Columba,"  says  Odo-nellus,  ''  these  sacred 
doves  took  their  flight  to  all  quarters.  Wherever  they  went,  they 
carried  learning  and  true  religion,  and  seem  to  have  done  much 
toward  the  revival  of  both  when  at  the  lowest  ebb." 

Next  to  the  reading,  we  would  thankfully  notice  the  writing, 
of  the  Scriptures,  which  was  carried  on  in  the  convents,  through 
the  dark  ages.  In  most  of  them,  a  room,  called  ''  the  Scripto- 
rium," was  set  apart  for  the  purpose.  A  manuscript  of  the  eighth 
centurjr  contains  a  prayer  used  at  the  consecration  of  such  an 
apartment,  that  what  was  written  there  might  take  good  effect. 

Sometimes  the  monks  wrote  in  separate  cells,  made  round  the 
calefactory,  which  was  a  contrivance  for  distributing  heat  to  all. 
In  the  monastery  of  Tournay  in  France,  a  dozen  j^oung  men  migh<- 
bo  seen  in  such  cells  writing  in  perfect  silence ;  for  silence  was 
enjoined  in  the  Scriptorium,  in  order  to  secure  accuracy  as  well  as 
despatch.     Many  nuns  were  rcinarkable  for  the  legible  and  beau* 

*  "Eoi-avo  on  the  Dark  A-cr-."'  l;v  Maillaiid. 


142  THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY 


tiful  character  in  whicli  they  wrote.  One  Diemuclis  wrote  and 
ornamented  ten  missals,  besides  copying  two  Bibles  and  many 
writings  of  the  fathers.  Often  this  labour  cost  them  the  early 
loss  of  eyesight.  Perhaps,  during  a  lifetime,  the  result  of  this 
industiy  might  be  forty  or  fifty  folio  books. 

It  is  deeply  interesting  to  look  upon  these  quiet  sources  of  the 
world's  literature,  whereby  the  darkness  of  its  night  was  inter- 
spersed with  many  stars,  till  the  dawning  of  the  day  in  which 
arose  THE  PPvINTINa  PRESS,— the  tongue  of  nations,  the 
terror  of  tyrants, — and  then  the  full  day  in  which  THE  BIBLE 
SOCIETY  employs  this  niighty  instrumentality  to  utter  to  all 
lands  the  written  voice  of  God. 


If  we  look  at  the  first  five-and-twenty  years  of  the  sixteenth 
century,  Lefevre  in  France,  Zuinglius  in  Switzerland,  Luther  in 
Germany,  and  Tyndal  in  England,  appear  before  the  world.  They 
were  all  living  at  this  time  in  their  respective  countries,  Lefevre 
being  by  far  the  oldest  of  the  four.  They  were  all  engaged  in  the 
same  work,  independently  of  each  other, — the  translation  of  the 
Scriptures  into  difierent  languages,  each  being  evidently  prepared 
of  God  as  the  instrument  for  the  purpose ;  for  God's  hour  was 
come,  and  his  holy  word,  which  had  been  1600  years  in  writing, 
(from  the  time  of  Moses  till  the  close  of  the  life  of  John,)  and 
then  for  1300  years,  made  known  only  sparingly,  as  copied  by 
hand-labour,  manuscript  from  manuscript,  was  now  to  be  made 
accessible  to  all,  and  was  to  have  free  course,  and  prevail. 

We  must  return  for  a  moment  to  the  Yaudois  Church,  which 
had  hitherto  possessed  parts  of  the  sacred  volume,  translated  by 
Peter  Waldo,  and  from  time  immemorial  the  manuscript  Romaunt 
version.  In  1523,  Lefevre  completed  his  first  translation  of  the 
four  Gospels;  and  some  of  the  Vaiidois  Christians,  in  the  midst 
of  their  own  deep  troubles  and  persecutions,  having  some  years 
previously  visited  the  Christian  Churches  of  France,  and  having 
seen  that  the  copies  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  in  the  tongue 
of  the  people,  icriftcn  hj  hand,  were  extremely  scarce,  and  that 


EMPEROR    CONSTANTINE.  143 


moreover  the  translation  hitherto  made  needed  much  revision  and 
improvement,  they  invited  Robert  Olivetan  to  translate  the  Bible 
according  to  the  Hebrew  and  Greek  languages,  revised  by  the 
Komaunt  version,  into  the  French  tongue.  This  being  accom- 
plished, the  Vaudois  Churches  collected  among  themselves  the 
enormous  sum  of  1500  golden  crowns ;  and  forming  themselves 
into  a  kind  of  Vaudois  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  they  had  the 
new  translation  printed  in  Gothic  characters,  at  the  press  of  Peter 
de  Wingle,  at  Neufchatel  in  Switzerland,  and  caused  numbers  of 
copies  to  be  circulated  in  France,  at  a  greatly  reduced  price,  among 
those  poor  French  Christians  whom  persecution  had  then  previous- 
ly despoiled  and  ruined. 

It  is  this  very  version  of  the  Bible,  translated  by  Robert  Olive- 
tan,  and  afterward  revised  by  Calvin,  his  relative,  by  the  pastors 
of  Geneva,  by  Martin,  and  by  Ostervald,  which  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society  is  still  unceasingly  endeavouring  to  render 
more  and  more  popular  in  France. 

But  there  is  another  French  translation  of  the  Bible,  which 
appeared  130  years  later,  and  which  was  an  event  as  memorable 
as  the  one  to  which  we  have  just  referred. 

It  was  made  in  the  year  1666,  by  Le  Maistre  de  Sacy,  the 
director  of  the  monastery  of  Port  Royal  des  Champs.  The  ver- 
sion of  Robert  Olivetan,  even  though  perfected  by  successive  re- 
visions made  up  to  the  time  of  Ostervald,  as  coming  from  a  Pro- 
testant, was  never  widely  circulated  among  Roman  Catholics. 

But  in  the  providence  of  God,  it  was  ordered,  that  from  the 
bosom  of  the  Roman  Church  itself,  from  a  section  of  her  members 
who  had  made  the  nearest  approaches  to  the  truth,  and  who  were 
called  ''  Jansenists,"  certain  men  were  raised  up  in  an  especial 
manner  qualified  for  the  translation  of  his  word. 

At  the  head  of  these  was  he  who  gave  his  name  to  the  transla- 
tion, Le  Maistre  de  Sacy,  who  first  put  his  hand  to  this  noble 
work,  during  his  three  years'  imprisonment,  on  a  charge  of  heresy, 
in  the  prison  of  the  Bastile.  It  is  very  remarkable  that  Luther, 
the  reformer  of  Germany,  (of  whom  more  must  be  said  presently,) 
commenced  his  translation  of  the  Scriptures  in  the  prison  of  the 


144  THE  BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


Wartburg.  This  employment  made  De  Sacy  bappy  in  a  cell  of 
the  Bastile.  ^'  How  happy,'^  said  he,  '^I  am  in  being  here  !  God 
shows  me  that  he  wishes  me  to  be  here." 

When  De  Sacy  came  out  of  prison,  he  finished  the  entire 
transhition  of  the  Bible  into  French,  with  his  pious  fellow-la- 
bourers; and  while  they  were  carrying  forward  this  great  work, 
it  is  very  interesting  to  know  what  was  also  passing  in  the  con- 
vent of  Port  Royal. 

The  nuns,  animated  by  a  spirit  not  hitherto  very  usual  among 
nuns,  had  divided  themselves  into  groups,  and  in  the  same  man- 
ner that  sentinels  relieve  each  other  at  night,  in  order  to  maintain 
a  strict  watch  over  a  town,  the?/  had  established  a  course  of  un- 
ceasing  prai/cr.  When  one  group  had  finished,  another  imme- 
diately came  to  occupy  its  place.  Kneeling  down,  they  offered 
fervent  prayers  to  the  Lord,  beseeching  him  to  pour  down  on  the 
translators  of  his  word  the  spirit  of  wisdom,  light,  and  under- 
standing, that  none  other  than  a  holy  and  pure  translation  of  the 
inspired  volume — in  fact,  one  like  the  original  text  itself — might 
issue  from  their  pens. 

As  soon  as  the  version  was  ready,  the  good  men  who  had  been 
engaged  in  it  took  care  to  have  it  published,  with  the  Grreek  and 
Latin  text  by  its  side,  that  all  who  were  able  might  judge  at  once 
of  the  scrupulous  fidelity  of  their  translation. 

They  despatched  from  Paris  a  large  number  of  colporteurs,  who 
(spread  themselves  over  every  province  of  the  kingdom,  being 
commissioned  to  sell  the  copies  at  cost  price,  and  even,  according 
to  circumstances,  at  reduced  prices.  This  act  of  the  friends  of 
the  word  of  God  was  supported  by  voluntary  donations  and  sub- 
scriptions. 

The  version  of  Robert  Olivetan,  also,  which,  you  will  take 
notice,  was  printed  130  years  earlier  than  that  of  De  Sacy,  was 
spread  abroad  in  the  same  manner:  indeed,  it  is  to  the  appear- 
ance of  that  Bible  that  the  origin  of  Bible  colportage  must  be 
attributed, — a  work  which  you  will  understand,  we  hope,  when 
you  have  read  the  third  portion  of  our  Story.  These  colporteurs 
were  then  called  "portcs  panicrs,"  or  ''porteurs  de  livres,"  and 


VARIOUS    TRANSLATIONS.  115 


followed  iu  the  train  of  those  poor  merchants,  whorn  we  described 
to  you  as  travelling  among  the  Vaudois,  distributing  secretly 
^Hhe  gem  shining  from  God,"  in  manuscript 


Before  we  approach  that,  to  us,  most  interesting  subject — the 
full  translation  and  printing  of  our  own  English  version,  which 
was  to  have  so  vast  an  influence  on  the  whole  world — we  must 
inquire  what  languages  had  sprung  from  the  five  great  roots  of 
translation  during  the  period  between  the  first  and  sixteenth  cen- 
turies after  Christ.  By  the  end  of  the  first  century,  the  Scrip- 
tures were  written  in — 

Hebrew,  S^Tiac, 

Chaldee,  Latin. 

Greek, 
By  the  end  of  the  sixteenth,  translations  of  large  portions,  if  not 
of  tbe  whole,  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  had  been  made  in — 
Coptic,  for  Eg;)^t,  in  the  third  century. 

*  Gothic,  for  the  Goths,  in  the  fourth  century. 
Persic,  for  the  Persians,  in  the  fourth  century. 
Ethiopic,  for  Abyssinia,  in  the  fourth  century. 

Ancient  Armenian,  for  the  Armenians,  in  the  fifth  century. 
Syro-Chaldaic,  for  the  Nestorians,'  in  the  sixth  century. 
Arabic,  for  Arabia,  in  the  seventh  century. 
Georgian,  for  Iberia,  in  the  eighth  century. 

*  Sclavonic,  for  Sclavonia,  in  the  ninth  century. 

*  Yaudois,  for  the  Waldenses,  in  the  twelfth  century. 
^  Erse,  for  the  Irish,  in  the  thirteenth  century. 

*  Polish,  for  Poland,  in  the  fourteenth  century. 

*  English,  by  Wiclif,  in  the  fourteenth  century. 

Six  of  these  versions  (marked  '^)  you  perceive  were  for  Europe, 
five  for  Asia,  and  two  for  Africa:  and  some  interesting  circum- 
stance, that  you  would  like  to  remember,  attaches  to  all  of  them. 
Wherever  the  Bihle  teas  thus  translated  into  the  language  of 
the  people  J  reformation  ensued,  and  churches  were  founded,  the 
greater  number  of  ichich  remain  to  this  da?/,  and  arc  now  expe- 
ls 


l46  THE   BOOK    AND   ITS    STORl 


riencing  revival  from  the  free  circulation  of  the  Divine  word  ichich 
at  first  gave  them  birth. 

We  have  not  mTich  space  for  detail,  but  we  must  give  you 
Bome  information  concerning  each  version. 

THE    COPTIC. 

2la  Bb    Pr   h\   Be   Z^z  HM  -&  a    It 

a  b,  V  g  d  e  z  i,e  tli  i 

Kk    AA    Mm    MS    ^5    Oo    Tin    Pp 

k  1  m  n  X  0  p,b  r 

CcTt   Ty^^   Xx  >\s\\f   0)0)   qq 

s  t,  d  i,y  ph  ch,sc  ps  o  f 

^2:    (yd    (QiQ    Zq    hi>    T  + 

g  skjSC  sch  h  lib  ti 

The  Coptic  Alphabet. 

This  vras  once  the  spoken  language  of  Egypt,  but  is  now 
changed  for  the  Arabic.  The  Copts  are  descended  from  the 
ancient  Egyptians,  mixed  with  other  races.  In  this  language 
one  of  the  earliest  and  most  faithful  versions  existed,  translated 
from  the  Septuagint,  and  it  has  been  the  means  of  keeping  alive 
the  form,  if  not  the  spirit,  of  Christianity,  during  1500  years, 
among  a  persecuted  people,  surrounded  by  Mohammedan  op- 
pressors. Mr.  Kruse,  the  present  missionary  at  Cairo,  relates  the 
remark  of  a  native  Copt :  "  We  want  a  man  to  rise  up  from  among 
our  own  people,  like  your  Luther,  bold  enough  to  stand  fast  in 
the  ftiith,  and  to  reform  our  church. '^  We  shall  say  more  about 
the  Copts  in  connection  with  the  Bible  Society. 


THE    GOTHIC. 

I   r  ^  a  11  ^    li    $ 

11     R    A 

»        g        d          e         q          z           b         th 

i         k       i 

a  e^   n   n   ]^  s   T  Y 

|5     0     ft 

H 

mnjup  rs  t      v,j 

The  Gothic  Alphabet. 


PARTICULARS    01    VARIOUS    TRANSLATIONS.  147 


This  version  "was  made  for  the  people  who  came  from  Scandi- 
navia down  to  Prussia  and  East  Germany,  and  the  coast  of  the 
Black  Sea,  and  who,  in  409,  took  and  pillaged  Rome,  under 
x\laric.  It  was  completed  by  Ulphilas,  one  of  their  bishops,  a 
man  of  good  conduct  and  of  great  mind,  whose  own  holy  life 
recommended  his  doctrines.  It  was  a  proverb  among  the  Goths, 
^'Whatever  Ulphilas  does,  is  well  done.'^  The  most  important 
manuscript  of  the  Gothic  version  was  discovered  in  Westphalia, 
where  it  had  lain  several  centuries.  It.  has  been  taken  and  re- 
taken in  war  many  times  since,  and  is  now  to  be  seen  in  the 
library  at  Upsal,  preserved  in  a  glass  box,  which  not  even  an 
emperor  might  open,  for  it  is  a  treasure  so  much  coveted,  that  it 
has  lost  all  its  leaves  except  160.  It  is  called  "the  Codex  Ar« 
genteus,"  the  silver  book,  and  its  silver  letters,  with  occasionally 
a  verse  of  gold,  are  inscribed  on  violet  vellum,  while  its  binding 
is  of  embossed  silver  in  this  kind  of  character — 


A 


(ULG^A  °^zm 


It  has  been  thought  that  the  characters  are  not  written,  but 
stamped  or  impressed  as  by  the  old  process  of  lettering  the  back 
of  a  book,  I.  e.  laying  gold-leaf  over  some  mixture,  like  white  of 
egg,  on  the  vellum,  and  then  impressing  the  letters  with  a  heated 
stamp,  and  afterward  wiping  off  the  surplus  gold. 

THE   PERSIC. 
a,e,i,o,u       b        p        t        s,th      dsch     tsch     h'     ch     d      ds     r      z 

r^  u-^  t/t/i'i''    ^    ^  ^  J,  J 

8  8ch        ,  ss  ts         t        s      a,i,o,u      gh       f        k,q     kj,k 

J  r  ^  y  »9  (J 

1         m  n       w,  u       h,  t        j,  i 

The  Persian  Alphabet. 

The  primitive  alphabet  of  the  Persians  seems  *o  have  been 


148  THE   BOOK   AND   l^-^    STORY. 


arrow-headed,  like  tlie  Nineveh  characters,  but  the  alphabet  uoTf 
used  is  the  Arabic.  Chrysostoni  speaks  of  the  Persian  version 
LS  having  originated  with  the  Christian  Elamites,  who  returned 
to  Persia  after  the  day  of  Pentecost. 


THE   ANCIENT   ARMENIAN. 

i:-  1^.  *ht  'Vt  h^  ,«.t  li*  i\£. 

ap  k  tje  s  0  e 

fd-P^     ,J.</     h^    ^^L   hi"     \)**    \\i    ^'y 

til  sh  i  1  ch  ds  g  h 

Q^  1^7. 7<^  w^  Qj  '!,^  czL  n- 

z  gh  dsch  m  h,j  n  sch  uo 

^i.  <0'«  y^  fh-  V'  n^i.  s-  Pe 

tsh  b  dsh  rh  s      _         w  d  r 

i?<B   "O    ^\).    ^4?    ^4  ^9 

tz  u,  V  p  k  0  f 

The  Armenian  Alphabet. 

This  is  a  very  old  and  faithful  translation,  and  is  called  the 
*^  queen  of  versions/'  on  account  of  its  exactness  and  eloquent 
Bimplicity. 

THE    ETHIOPIC,    OR    GHEEZ. 
ha      la       ha        ma       sa       ra      sa      ka      ba      tha     cha     na       a      ka 

^a        a         za     ja       da       ga         ta       pa      tza    ,  za        fa        pa 
The  Ethiopic,  or  Gheez,  Alphabet. 

The  Ethiopic  was  once  the  common  dialect  of  Abyssinia,  but 
is  now  supplanted  by  the  Amharic.  "VVe  have  mentioned  this 
translation  in  the  account  of  the  early  Abyssinian  Church. 


PARTICULARS    OF    VARIOUS    TRANSLATIONS.  149 


SYRO-CHALDAIC. 


oiob  cJr^l  j^fQ^"^  Ifoi 


«IA3jo  I 


/ 


John  i.  1. 


This  is  the  version  which  existed  in  the  interesting  Nestorian 
Church,  among  the  dwellers  in  the  mountains  of  Assyria. 
Several  ancient  manuscripts  of  the  Gospels  have  been  brought  to 
Europe  in  this  character,  which  the  Bible  Society  have  printed. 
Up  to  the  year  1826,  these  people  had  no  printed  Scriptures  : 
they  said,  "  We  have  heard  that  the  English  are  able  to  write  a 
thousand  copies  in  one  day  ;  would  they  -not  write  for  us  several 
thousand  copies  and  send  them  to  us  ?  AVe  become  wild,  like 
I^urds,  for  we  have  so  few  copies  of  the  Bible."  The  desire  of 
this  simple  people  has  already  been  fulfilled. 

ARABIC. 

\\    ^^   ^    ^    "^    T    TL    ^    ^   ^     ^    ^ 

a,e,i,o,u      b         t      s,  th     dsch         h'       ch         d       ds      r  z  a 

8ch        ss        z,dh        t        z      'a,'o/i     gli        f        k        kj,  k     ng        1 

m        n         w,  u         li,t     j,  i 
The  Arabic  Alphabet. 

The  Arabic  is  the  tongue  not  only  of  Arabia,  but  Syria,  Persia, 
Tartary,  part  of  India  and  China,  half  of  Africa,  and  all  the  sea- 
coast  of  the  Mediterranean  and  Turkey.  This  version  is  said  to 
have  been  made  during  the  lifetime  of  Mohammed,  which  may 
account  for  the  knowledge  of  the  Scripture  he  displays  in  his 
Koran,  mixed  with  such  fables  as  "  Adam  being  several  nxiles 


150  THE    BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


long  when  he  laid  himself  down."  Long  indeed  has  been  the 
reign  of  the  false  prophet.  His  fables  have  hidden  the  true 
revelation  for  many  agps  from  his  benighted  followers ;  but  the 
Arabic  version  is  now  going  forth,  no  more  in  the  rare  form  of 
manuscript,  but  easy  to  be  carried  and  read  wherever  Arabic  is 
spoken ;  and  it  is  said  the  sons  of  Kedar  willingly  buy  and  read 
the  word  of  God. 

THE    GEORGIAN,    OR    IBERIAN. 

abgdewslithik         Imn 

i  o  p         sh  r  s  t  u        wi       ph         k         gh 

q        sch     tsch        ta         ds  z  dsch         kh       kkh     dsh        h 

The  Georgian,  or  Iberian,  Alphabet. 

The  version  in  this  language  would  have  been  very  precioua 
to  the  learned  had  it  not  become  corrupted.  The  women  of 
Georgia  are  noted  for  the  zeal  with  which  they  devote  them- 
selves to  the  acquisition  of  religious  knowledge. 

THE    SCLAVONIAN. 

a  b  w,  V  h  d  o         sh  (z)  s 

Uh    Hm    If    Kk    A\  MrA    Bu    Go    Tin    Sp 

ijikl  mnopr 

Gt    Tt    O^ovi^y    04    X^   Qvv    i;u    Hh 

s  t  u  f  ch  ot  z  (c)    tsch 

IHuj    IHiii     Tiz     U.bi     Ilk    ^-kCe     B)  k 

sch         schtsch         (mute)  j  (soft)  je  ju 

ia  0  (soft)         psi  th  V 

The  Sclavonic  Alphabet. 


ERSE   TRANSLATION.  151 


Tliis  iongue  was  in  use  among  the  Servians  and  Moravians. 
The  ]5ible  was  translated  by  two  Greek  monksj  Cyrilles  and 
Methodius,  in  the  ninth  century,  and  these  were  the  founders 
of  the  Moravian  Church,  afterward  sheltered  by  Count  Zin- 
zendorf. 

Of  the  Vaudois  you  have  heard  already.  Of  the  Polish 
there  is  little  to  say  at  present,  except  that  it  was  made  for 
Queen  Sophia,  who  is  said  to  have  possessed  the  whole  Bible  in 
that  language. 

THE    ERSE,    OR   IRISH. 

aa    5b    Cc    lOb     Bepp     ^^    "hh    1\    rtlTIm 

abc  d  ef  g  liilm 

nn    Oopp    Rn    Sp    Cu    Uvi   4    n    ^ 

n  o  p  r  s  t  u        ar    nn     rr 

The  Erse,  or  Irish,  Alphabet.  ' 

The  Erse  was  once  the  tongue  of  literature  and  science.  It  is 
believed  that  the  Scriptures  were  translated  into  Irish  very  soon 
after  the  introduction  of  Christianity ;  and  the  Venerable  Bede 
informs  us,  that  in  his  time,  "  the  Scriptures  were  read  in  five 
dialects  of  Great  Britain,  by  the  Angles,  Britons,  Scots,  Picts, 
and  Latins ;"  and  though  the  Erse  version  may  possibly  bave  died 
out  during  the  interval,  it  appeared  again  in  the  age  immediately 
before  that  of  Wiclif,  when  a  new  Testament  in  Irish  is  stated  to 
have  been  in  the  possession  of  a  bishop  of  Armagh,  who  is  sup- 
posed to  have  himself  translated  it.  He  left  a  memoir  of  himself, 
in  which  he  declares  "how  the  Lord  taught  him,  and  brought 
him  out  of  the  net  of  heathen  philosophy,  to  the  study  of  the 
Scriptures  of  God." 

Although  he  was  remarkable  for  the  boldness  with  which  he 
opposed  the  corruptions  of  the  Church  of  Eorae,  yet  he  was  com 
polled  by  the  troubles  of  the  times  to  conceal  his  New  Testament. 
He  deposited  the  precious  volume  inside  one  of  the  walls  of  his 
church,  and  wrote  the  following  note  on  the  last  leaf:  "When 
this  book  is  found,  truth  will  be  revealed  to  the  world,  or  Christ 


152 


THE   BOOK    AXD   ITS    STORY. 


will  shortly  appear."  One  hundred  and  seventy  years  after  hia 
death,  that  is  to  say,  about  the  year  1530,  the  church  of  Armagh 
was  repaired,  and  the  manuscript  discovered,  at  the  very  time  in 
which  Tyndal's  New  Testament  began  to  spread  through  Britain, 
in  the  tongue  of  the  people ;  and  so  truth  was  revealed,  as  indeed 
it  had  never  been  before. 


CHAPTER  VJII. 

Tyndal — Erasmus — Tonstall — More — Wolsey — Search  for  Testaments  in  Lon- 
don, Oxford,  and  Cambridge — Scenes  in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  and  at  Paul's 
Cross — Deaths  of  Tyndal  and  of  Wolsey-^Bescription  of  Frontispiece,  with 
Martyrdom  of  Ann  Askew — Luther — List  of  Languages  before  1804 — Sum- 
ming up  of  the  Narrative. 


THE    PRINTED   ENGLISH    BIBLE. 


And  who  was  AVilliam  Tyndal,- 


-the  man  who  gave  to  England 


Tyndal. 

birth  of  Luther,  and  also  :)f  Zuingle. 


its  greatest  treasure — the 
printed  English  Bible  ? 

There  is  a  book  called 
"  Anderson's  Annals  of  tlie 
English  Bible,"  which  con- 
tains the  life  of  Tyndal.  It 
was  a  life  devoted  entirely  to 
this  great  object.  From  his 
youth,  he  felt  he  had  this 
one  tlilng  to  do, — ^to  trans- 
late the  word  of  God  into 
his  native  tongue,  and  print 
it.  He  did  so,  and  was 
martyred  for  its  sake. 

He  was  born  in  1484, 
100  years  after  Wiclif  died, 
and  about  a  year  after  the 
He  passed  his  youth  in  the 


TYNDAL — ERASMUS.  153 


midst  of  monks  and  friars,  and  was  sent  early  to  Oxford,  -wliere  he 
made  great  progress,  especially  in  languages. 

Now,  Oxford  was  the  city  in  which  the  New  Testament,  just 
published  in  Greek  by  Erasmus,  met  with  .its  warmest  welcome, 
and  William  Tyndal  read  it, — first  only  as  a  work  of  learning, 
but  soon  he  found  it  to  be  something  more.  That  Book  spoke  to 
him  of  God,  of  Christ,  and  of  being  born  again,  till  it  completely 
subdued  him.  He  felt  that  he  had  in  his  hand  the  Divine  Reve- 
lation, and  that  he  could  not  keep  the  treasure  to  himself.  He 
therefore  read  these  Greek  and  Latin  Gospels  with  many  of  his 
fellow-students  at  Oxford.  He  then  went  to  Cambridge,  and, 
forming  new  friendships,  became,  it  is  said,  "well  ripened  in 
God's  word.'^ 

There  were  two  young  men  at  Cambridge,  who  had  also  been 
reading  this  Greek  New  Testament,  —  Thomas  Bilney  and  John 
Frith, — both  afterward  martyrs.  When  Tyndal  joined  them, 
they  gained  fresh  courage,  and  began  to  address  to  all  around  them 
that  saying  of  Christ's,  ''Repent,  and  be  converted:''  ''Christ 
Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners." 

Bilney  and  Tyndal  left  Cambridge  in  1519.  The  friars  had 
not  then  finished  their  persecution  of  the  Lollards ;  and  that  same 
year,  Thomas  Man,  one  of  their  number,  who  had  preached  to  the 
conversion  of  many  persons,  under  the  great  oaks  of  Windsor 
Forest,  was  burnt  alive  for  his  doctrine,  as  well  as  Dame  Hawkins, 
the  mother  of  several  little  children,  for  having  in  her  possession 
a  parchment,  on  which  were  written  the  Lord's  Prayer,  the 
Apostles'  Creed,  and  the  Ten  Commandments,  in  English. 

But  of  what  avail  was  it  to  silence  those  obscure  lips,  while  the 
New  Testament  of  Erasmus  could  speak  ?  And  God  so  ordered 
it,  that  Erasmus  was  a  favourite  with  Henry  VIII.,  King  of  Eng- 
land, v.'ho "whispered  in  the  ear  of  a  bishop  very  wroth  with  the 
Greek  Testament,  and  at  the  same  time  ignorant  enough  to  declare 
that  Paul's  Epistles  had  been  written  in  Hebrew,  "  The  beetle 
must  not  attack  the  eagle;"  so  that  even  preaching  in  St.  Paul's 
cathedral  against  the  book  was,  as  is  said,  "  of  no  avail." 

Erasmus  was  so  highly  esteemed,  that  he  was  caPed  ^Hhe  king 


154  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


of  the  schools."  What  he  had  given  to  the  learned,  Tyndal  was 
about  to  bestow  upon  the  people.  When  he  was  between  thirty 
and  forty  years  of  age,  he  was  engaged  as  tutor  and  chaplain  in 
the  house  of  Sir  John  Walsh,  a  knight  of  Grioucestershire,  and  at 
his  table  he  met  with  many  of  the  neighbouring  priests,  at  whose 
ignorance  he  was  deeply  grieved.  H  >  exhorted  them  also  to  read 
the  Scriptures,  keeping,  it  is  said,  Erasmus's  New  Testament 
always  within  reach,  to  prove  what  he  advanced.  The  priests 
disliked  to  see  that  book  appear,  and  said  it  only  served  to  make 
heretics,  adding,  "  Why  even  ice  don't  understand  God's  word,  as 
you  call  it;  and  how  should  the  vulgar  understand  it?  It  is  a 
conjuring  book,  wherein  everybody  finds  what  he  wants."  "Ah !" 
said  Tyndal,  "  you  read  it  without  Jesus  Christ ;  that  is  why  it  is 
obscure  to  you."  "  Nothing  is  obscure  to  us,"  said  another  priest; 
"  we  only  can  explain  the  Scriptures."  " No,"  said  Tyndal ;  "you 
hide  them,  j^ou  burn  those  who  teach  them,  and,  if  you  could, 
you  would  burn  the  Scriptures  themselves.'^ 

This  kind  of  talk  is  said  to  have  induced  the  priests  rather 
to  give  up  Squire.  Walsh's  good  cheer  at  Sodbury  Hall,  than 
encounter  "  the  sour  sauce"  of  Master  Tyndai's  company. 

They  soon  declared  themselves  his  open  enemies;  and  if  he 
preached,  they  threatened  to  expel  from  the  church  those  who 
listened  to  him.  "Oh  !"  said  Tyndal;  "while  I  am  sowing  in 
one  place,  they  ravage  the  field  I  have  just  left.  I  cannot  be 
everywhere.  If  Christians  had  the  Scriptures  in  their  own  tongue, 
they  could  themselves  withstand  these  sophists ;  without  the  Bible 
it  is  impossible  to  establish  the  laity  in  the  truth." 

He  went  on  arguing  with  all  whom  he  met,  in  favour  of  trans- 
lating the  Scriptures,  till  one  day  a  popish  doctor,  angry  with  the 
strength  of  his  arguments,  said  :  "  Well ;  we  had  better  be  with- 
out God's  laws  than  the  pope's."  This  fired  the  spirit  of  Tyndal, 
and  he  answered,  with  righteous  indignation,  "I  defy  the  pope 
and  all  his  laws ;  and  if  God  give  me  life,  ere  many  years  the 
ploughboys  shall  know  more  of  the  Scriptures  than  you  do." 

He  henceforth  pass.^d  the  greater  part  of  his  time  in  the  library, 
and  avoided  these  coi/  '"ersations.     He  prayed,  he  read,  and  carried 


WILLIAM  TYNDAL.  155 


on  his  traislation,  and  seems  to  have  read  it,  as  he  proceeded,  to 
Sir  John  and  Lady  Walsh,  who  were  determined  to  protect  him. 
He  soon,  however,  left  them  for  the  sake  of  their  safety,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  London,  to  seek  another  retreat,  where  he  might  follow 
out  his  work. 

He  found  a  quiet  room  in  the  house  of  Humphrey  Monmouth, 
a  pious  and  benevolent  alderman,  near  Temple  Bar,  and  dwelt 
with  him  six  months,  "studying  most  part  of  the  day  and  night 
at  his  book.''  Humphrey  Monmouth  was  afterward  sent  to  the 
Tower,  on  a  charge  of  having  aided  Tyndal;  but  he  thus  justified 
himself:  "When  I  heard  my  Lord  of  London  preach  at  PauFs- 
cross,  thait  Sir  William  Tyndal  had  translated  the  New  Testament 
into  English,  and  that  it  was  naughtily  translated,  that  was  the 
first  time  that  ever  I  suspected  or  knew  any  evil  of  him."  The 
worthy  citizen  was  soon  set  free.  It  seems  he  afterward  con- 
tributed largely  to  the  printing  of  the  New  Testament. 

Tyndal  began  to  fear  lest  the  stake  should  interrupt  his  labour. 
"Alas!"  he  exclaimed;  "is  there  then  no  place  where  I  can 
translate  the  Bible?  It  is  not  the  bishop's  house  alone  that  is 
closed  upon  me,  but  all  England!"  There  lay  at  that  moment, 
in  the  river  Thames,  a  vessel  loading  for  Hamburg :  Humphrey 
Monmouth  gave  him  ten  pounds  for  his  voyage;  and,  carrying 
with  him  only  his  New  Testament,  he  went  on  board.  "Our 
priests  have  buried  the  Testament  of  God,"  said  he;  "and  all 
their  study  is  to  keep  it  down,  that  it  rise  not  again;  but  the 
hour  of  the  Lord  is  come,  and  nothing  can  hinder  the  vrord  of 
God,  as  nothing  could  hinder  Jesus  Christ  of  old  from  issuing 
from  the  tomb." 

"That  poor  man,  then  sailing  toward  Germany,  was  to  send 
back,  even  from  the  banks  of  the  Elbe,  the  eternal  gospel  to  his 
countrymen." 

He  left  England  in  1523,  and  never  returned  to  it.  Hum- 
phrey Monmouth  and  other  kind  friends  supplied  his  simple 
wants  while  sitting  down  to  his  work  in  a  foreign  land. 

He  had  now  entered  with  great  vigour  on  the  two  most  im- 
portant years  of  his  lifi.     He  seems  to  have  printed  first,  the 


156  TFIE    BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


Gospels  of  Matthew  and  Mark,  and  in  1524  he  sent  them  to  his 
friend  Monmouth,  and  then  removed  to  Cologne.  Beins;  asrain 
disturbed,  in  the  midst  of  printing  the  whole  New  Testament, 
he  gathered  up  the  ten  already  printed  sheets,  and  fled  to 
Worms,  where  he  finished  it.  It  crossed  the  sea  to  England 
in  1526. 

Cochloeus,  that  enemy  who  had  desired  to  strangle  it  in  its 
birth  at  Cologne,  wrote  home  to  King  Henry  and  the  bishops,  to 
watch  closely  all  the  ports  against  the  entrance  of  "the  pernicious 
book;"  while  the  Bishop  of  London,  haying  gained  possession 
of  one  of  the  copies,  took  care  to  tell  the  people,  in  case  they  met 
with  such  a  book,  that  he  had  found  in  it  upward  of  2Q00  errors 
and  heresies.  Moreover,  he  at  once  entered  into  a  secret  specu- 
lation to  buy  it  up  through  a  merchant  named  Packington,  say- 
ing, "Gentle  Master  Packington,  do  your  diligence  and  get  them, 
and  I  will  pay  for  them  whatsoever  they  cost  you;  for  the  books 
are  naughty,  and  I  intend  surely  to  destroy  them  all,  and  to  burn 
them  at  Paul's-cross." 

So  you  see  the  Roman  Church  burnt  men^  and  hones,  and  looks, . 
but  all  to  no  purpose.  William  Tyndal,  understanding  this  pur- 
pose of  Bishop  Tonstall,  sold  him  the  books,  saying,  *'I  shall 
gette  moneye  of  him  for  these  bokes  to  bryng  myself  out  of  debt, 
and  the  whole  world  shall  cry  out  at  the  burnninge  of  God's 
worde,  and  the  overplus  of  the  moneye  that  shall  remain  to  me 
ghall  make  me  more  studious,  to  correct  againe,  and  newly  to  im- 
print the  same."  And  so  forward  went  the  bargain :  the  bishop 
had  the  books;  Packington  had  the  thanks;  and  Tyndal  had  the 
money;  and  afterward  more  New  Testaments  came  thick  and 
threefold  into  England. 

The  more  these  New  Testaments  were  suppressed,  the  greater 
was  the  desire  of  men  to  possess  them,  and  to  examine  their  con- 
tents, and  this  in  spite  of  punishment.  The  sentence  on  John 
Tyndal,  a  merchant  of  London,  and  brother  to  William,  by  Sir 
Thomas  More,  was,  "  that  he  should  be  set  upon  a  horse  with  his 
face  to  the  tail,  and  have  a  paper  pinned  upon  his  head,  and 
many  sheets  of  New  Testaments  sewn  to  his  cloak,  to  be  after- 


SIR   THOMAS    MORE.  157 


ward  thrown  into  a  great  fire  kindled  in  Clieapside^  and  then  pay 
to  the  king  a  fine  which  should  ruin  him." 

What  would  the  citizens  of  London  think  now,  if  they  saw  one 
of  its  wealthy  and  honourable  merchants  thus  treated  for  having 
a  New  Testament  in  his  possession? 

Tyndal's  own  words  about  the  persecution  raised  were, — "In 
burnninge  the  New  Testament,  they  did  none  other  thing  than  I 
looked  for :  no  more  shall  they  do,  if  they  burnne  me  also,  if  it 
be  God's  will  that  it  shall  be  so.  I  purpose,  with  God's  help,  to 
maintain  unto  the  death,  if  need  be;  and  therefore,  all  Christian 
men  and  women,  'praye  that  the  icorde  of  God  may  he  inihounde 
and  runne  to  and  fro  among  his  people:  Amen." 

The  great  Lord  Chancellor  More  published  seven  large  volumes 
against  Tyndal.  He  held  the  error  of  the  ancient  Pharisees,  that 
the  Bible  did  not  contain  the  whole  revealed  will  of  God,  but  that 
the  traditions  of  the  church  are  of  as  great  authority;  and  he 
said  that  Satan  had  marked  both  Luther  and  Tyndal  with  an  "  H" 
in  the  forehead,  for  denying  it,  "with  a  faire  hotte  irone,  fetched 
out  of  the  flames  of  hell."  These  are  the  very  words  of  the 
friend  of  Erasmus, — the  learned,  witty,  and  eloquent  Sir  Thomas 
More.  Tyndal  only  answered  him,  that  the  written  word  of  God 
contains  all  his  revealed  will,  perfect  as  its  Divine  Author;  and 
that  "if  any  man  add  to  it,  or  take  away  from  it,  God  shall  take 
away  his  part  out  of  the  book  of  life  and  out  of  the  holy  city,  and 
from  the  things  that  are  written  in  the  book." 

The  clergy,  delighted  with  More,  their  champion,  pressed  upon 
him  the  acceptance  of  five  thousand  pounds.  He  was  a  noble- 
minded  man,  and  refused  to  accept  a  penny  of  it;  and  he  seems 
*o  have  foreseen  that  the  "New  Learning,"  as  he  called  it,  would 
3ventually  prevail.  He  himself  chose  a  violent  death  rather  than 
deny  his  conscience  concerning  King  Henry's  second  marriage; 
and,  in  reviewing  his  life  in  comparison  with  Tyndal's,  one  can- 
not but  discern  so.  much  that  is  similarly  great  in  their  characteis. 
that,  had  their  souls  been  truly  and  intimately  known  to  each 
other,  we  are  ready  to  believe  they  would  have  been  uxiited  in 
the  bonds  of  the  highest  friendship,  and  that  when  More  gave  up 

U 


158  THE    BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


to  his  ^Mear  daugliter  Margaret/'  on  her  visiting  him  in  prison, 
the  knotted  whip  with  which  he  had  chastised  himself  from  his 
youth,  and  the  hair  shirt  he  had  worn  constantly  to  aggravate  the 
stripes,  he  had  (enlightened  by  the  reading  of  the  forbidden  New 
Testament)  seen  the  way  to  heaven  clear,  through  Christ  alone, 
and  renounced  his  faith  in  penance  and  self-torture.  If  so,  he 
must  have  had  much  to  forgive  himself  with  regard  to  Tyndal 
and  many  others.* 

In  the  year  1527,  great  rains  having  fallen  at  the  seed-time, 
bread  became  extremely  dear,  and  it  was  necessary  to  import 
corn.  The  merchants  who  did  this,  brought  with  them  also  500 
copies  of  Tyndal's  New  Testament,  secretly,  which  was  the  fourth 
edition  that  reached  England.  Wolsey,  the  prime  minister,  be- 
came aware  that  many  were  earnestly  reading  them,  and  resolved 
to  make  search  suddenly,  and  at  one  time,  in  London,  Oxford, 
and  Cambridge. 

In  London  he  found  that  a  certain  Thomas  Garrett,  curate  of 
All-Hallows,  in  Honey-lane,  Cheapside,  was  a  receiver  and  distri- 
buter of  these  New  Testaments,  and  that  he  had  even  then  gone 
down  to  Oxford  to  make  sale  of  them  there.  He  was  soon  seized, 
and  in  the  safe  keeping  of  his  enemies.  Let  us,  meanwhile,  look 
into  the  chamber  from  which  he  had  gone  forth  in  Oxford,  and 
see  there  Anthony  Dalaber,  one  of  the  student's  devotedly  attached 
to  him. 

"  When  he  was  gone  forth  down  the  stairs  from  my  chamber,'^ 
says  Dalaber,  ^'  I  shut  the  door,  and  went  into  my  study,  and  took 
the  New  Testament  in  my  hands,  kneeled  down  upon  my  knees, 
and  with  many  a  bitter  sigh  and  salt  tear,  I  read  over  the  10th 
chapter  of  Matthew's  Gospel,  (in  which  Christ  tells  his  early  disci- 
ples of  all.  they  would  have  to  suffer  for  his  sake.)  And  when  I 
iiad  so  done,  with  fervent  prayer  I  did  commit  to  God  that  dearly- 
beloved  brother  Garrett,  and  prayed  also  that  he  would  endue  that 
tender  and  lately-born  little  flock  in  Oxford,  with  all  godly  patience, 
to  bear  Christ's  heavy  cross,  which  I  now  saw  was  presently  to  be 

*-  Sir  Thomas  More  was  beheaded  on  t/.  )  Gth  of  July,  1535,  the  year  before 
Jie  martyrdom  of  Tyndal. 


GARRETT — DALABER.  159 


laid  upon  their  young  and  weak  backs, — unable  to  bear  so  huge  a 
burden,  without  the  great  help  of  his  Holy  Spirit.  This  done,  I 
laid  aside  my  book  so/e." 

This  Garrett  and  this  Dabaler  were  made  to  carry  a  fagot,  in 
open  procession,  from  St.  Mary's  to  Cardinal  College,  and  com- 
pelled to  cast  their  books  into  the  large  -fire  which  had  been  kin- 
dled at  the  meeting  of  four  ways  to  consume  them.  They  were 
then  imprisoned  in  Osney  Isle.  The  crown  of  martyrdom  awaited 
Garrett,  but  not  for  sixteen  years  afterward.  He  and  Dr.  Barnes 
were  consumed  in  the  same  flames,  in  1540. 

Eighteen  young  men  besides  these  were  captured  in  the  secret 
search  for  New  Testaments  at  Oxford  :  among  them  was  Fryth, 
the  especial  friend  of  Tyndal.  He  appears,  like  his  friend,  to 
have  availed  himself  of  the  advantages  of  both  universities.  The 
prohibited  books  had  been  found  under  the  flooring  of  their  rooms; 
and,  as  a  punishment,  they  were  all  immured  in  a  deep  cell  under 
Cardinal  College,  the  common  keeping-place  for  their  salt  fish, — 
a  noisome  dungeon,  where  the  air  and  the  food  together  proved 
fatal  to  four  of  them.  The  rest  were  kept  in  this  miserable  abode 
from  the  beginning  of  March  till  the  middle  of  August,  eating 
nothing  but  salt  fish  :  the  names  of  those  who  died  were  Clarke, 
Sumner,  Bailey,  and  Goodman  :  their  record  is  in  heaven  !  And 
we  may  believe  that  it  was  given  them,  according  to  Anthony 
Dalaber's  prayer,  "  quietly  with  all  godly  patience  to  bear  Christ's 
heavy  cross,  by  the  great  help  of  his  Holy  Spirit,  and  to  receive 
from  him  their  crown." 

Now,  let  us  see  what  were  the  fruits  of  the  search  at  Cambridge. 
You  remember  Thomas  Bilney,  who,  ten  years  before,  had  been 
reading,  with  Tyndal,  Erasmus's  Greek  Testament.  He  had  been 
the  means  of  the  conversion  of  Hugh,  afterward  Bishop  Latimer, 
and  Dr.  Barnes;  for  it  is  a  very  remarkable  feature  belonging  to 
the  love  of  the  word  of  God,  tliat  neither  a  man  nor  a  child  can 
love  it  alone.  He  who  has  tasted  a  pure  fountain, — he  who  haa 
looked  upon  a  land  of  promise,  must  say  to  others,  ''  Come  and 
Bee  it." 

No  one  ever  loved  the  B'ble,  and  suffered  from  reading  it,  but 


160  THE   BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


he  caused  some  one  or  more  besides  himself  to  love  it  and  suffer 
for  it  too.  It  was  long  before  the  persecutors  perceived,  that  the 
more  men  they  persecuted,  and  the  more  books  they  burned,  the 
greater  torch  they  kindled  in  England.  In  these  modern  times, 
even  papists,  if  enlightened,  see  with  their  champion,  Dr.  Geddes, 
that  "  burning  suspicious  books  is  the  readiest  way  to  make  more 
of  them,  as  persecuting  for  any  kind  of  religion  is  the  surest 
means  of  spreading  it.'^ 

The  sergeant-at-arms  arrived  at  Cambridge  to  make  search  for 
English  New  Testaments.  "God  be  praised,"  says  Foxe,  "the 
books  were  conveyed  away  from  the  thirty  suspected  rooms.'*  He 
found  therefore  no  hooks,  but  carried  off  to  London  Dr.  Barnes, 
who  had  greatly  offended  the  Cardinal  Wolsey  by  speaking  against 
his  golden  shoes  and  scarlet  gloves. 

He  was  made  to  bear  a  fagot  at  St.  Paul's-cross,  and,  for  the 
time,  was  so  far  compelled,  by  fear  and  bad  advisers,  as  to  abjure 
what  he  had  said,  rather  than  burn,  though  he  was  burned,  as  you 
have  been  told,  sixteen  years  afterward. 

Shall  we  try  and  fancy  St.  Paul's  and  its  neighbournood  at  the 
era  of  the  Reformation  ?  We  must  shut  our  eyes,  and  bid  the 
present  mighty  dome  vanish  away.  There  is  a  Gothic  cathedral  in 
its  place,  whose  bold  and  elegant  spire  seems  to  pierce  the  sky. 
It  is  worthily  called  "  a  famous  building,"  and  arose  in  the  middle 
of  the  twelfth  century,  over  the  ruins  of  a  still  older  church, 
which  had  been  burned  in  the  first  year  of  King  Stephen,  at  a  time 
when  boys  stole  apples  out  of  the  orchards  in  Paternoster  row  and 
Ivy-lane. 

This  original  church  had  been  built,  by  Ethelbert,  in  610,  again 
on  the  ruins  of  a  temple  raised  to  Diana  in  the  time  of  the 
Romans,  whose  funeral  urns  have  been  found  in  the  churchyard ; 
so  that  we  seem  scarcely  able  to  go  back  to  the  time  when  there 
was  not  a  temple  raised  for  worship,  pagan  or  Christian,  on 
this  spot. 

The  St.  Paul's  of  the  Reformation  looked  down,  as  now,  from 
the  top  of  Ludgate-hill,  upon  the  smaller  churches,  and  on  the 
rich  convents  within  the  city's  bounds, — on  St.  Bartholomew's^ 


OLD    ST.    PAUL'S    CATHEDRAL. 


16J 


Old  St.  Paul's  Cathedral. 
in  Smitlifield ;  on  the  Gray -friars,  in  Newgate-street;  on  the  Black- 
friars,  the  White-friars,  the  Austin-friars,  and  the  Crutehed-friars, 
from  whose  monasteries  issued  the  men  in  sad-coloured  robes,  who 
might  be  seen  in  every  street  mingling  with  the  gayer  multitude. 

People  were  accustomed  in  those  days  to  meet  in  St.  Paul's 
cathedral  to  transact  their  business.  The  sergeant-at-law,  in  his 
scarlet  robe,  white  furred  hood  and  coif  on  his  head,  gave  his 
advices  to  his  clients  there.  Each  sergeant  had  his  pillar  in  St. 
Paul's,  and  made  his  notes  upon  his  knee ;  and  the  old  church 
was  often  the  scen-e  of  most  riotous  conflict. 

This  it  also  was  when  Bishop  Courtenay  had  cited  Wiclif  to 
defend  himself  in  this  cathedral,  which  was  densely  crowded  by 
the  people.  Lord  Percy  and  John  of  Gaunt  could  scarcely  secure- 
an  avenue  of  entrance  for  the  reformer :  these  were  his  avowed 
friends,  and  Courtenay  began  to  quarrel  with  them.  Wiclif  was 
a  silent  spectator,  John  of  Gaunt  claiming  for  him  a  seat,  Courte- 
nay saying  he  should  not  sit  there, — '^each  party  so  excelling,'* 
says  the  quaint  old  John  Foxe,  "  in  bawling  and  railing,  threatcD 


162  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


ing  and  menacing,  that,  witliout  doing  any  thing,  the  council  was 
broken  up  before  nine  of  the  clock. '^ 

We  must  show  you  another  scene  in  St.  Paul's.  On  Sunday, 
the  11th  of  February,  1526,  there  was  to  be  seen,  Fisher,  bishop 
of  Rochester,  in  the  pulpit,  set  to  preach  against  Luther  and  Dr. 
Barnes;  and  there  sat  Wolsey,  in  all  his  glory,  on  a  scaffold  at 
the  top  of  the  stairs,  among  abbots  and  priors  and  mitred  bishops 
in  gowns  of  satin  and  damask,  and  Wolsey  in  his  robes  of  purple, 
with  his  golden  shoes  and  scarlet  gloves — all  beneath  a  canopy 
of  cloth  of  gold. 

Before  the  pulpit,  within  the  rails,  stood  great  baskets  full  of 
books — the  books  gathered  up  from  the  search  in  London,  Ox- 
ford, and  Cambridge — ready  to  be  burnt  in  the  great  fire  before 
the  crucifix,  at  the  north  gate  of  St.  Paul's. 

After  the  sermon,  the  heretics  were  to  go  three  times  round 
the  blazing  fire,  with  a  fagot  on  their  backs,  and  were  to  cast  in 
the  books.  Thus  Testament  after  Testament  was  consumed, 
angels  and  men  looking  on  at  the  deed,  Burnet,,  the  historian, 
says  :  ^^  This  burning  had  a  hateful  appearance  in  it ;  and  the 
people  thence  concluded  that  their  church  and  those  books  taught 
different  things,  whereby  their  desire  of  reading  the  New  Testa- 
ment was  increased." 

This  was  a  day  to  which  Wolsey  had  looked  forward  for  three 
years.  The  preacher,  Fisher,  announced  to  the  people  how  many 
days  of  pardon  and  indulgence  were  accorded  to  all  those  who 
were  present  at  that  sermon,  and  afterward  the  cardinal  and  all 
the  bishops  went  home  to  dinner. 

Yet,  on  that  very  spot  where  stood  the  celebrated  Paul's-cross, 
on  the  north  side  of  the  cathedral,  is  situated  at  this  moment  the 
Depository  of  the  Religious  Tract  Society,  whence,  after  an  in- 
terval of  somewhat  more  than  300  years,  the  writings  of  Wiclif, 
Tyndal,  and  Luther,  with  many  others  to  which  they  have  given 
birth,  go  forth  throughout  all  the  world. 

Half  a  centuiy  since,  that  society  could  only  afford  to  rent 
one  side  of  a  shop,  and  on  the  other  side  were  sold  china  and 
earthenware ;  but,  by  degrees,  the  '^  little  one   has  become  a 


OLD  ST.  Paul's  cross.  163 


thousand,"  under  the  Divine  blessing ;  and  you  who  have  seen, 
or  may  see,  its  fine  premises,  at  65  St.  Paul's-churchyard,  in- 
clusive of  eight  houses  once  occupied  by  the  monks  of  St.  Paul's, 
may  call  up  in  your  minds  this  picture  of  Wolsey  in  ermine  and 
purple,  once  dooming  the  Scriptures  and  Tracts  to  the  flames, 
where,  in  this  Jubilee  Year  of  the  Bible  Society,  the  Primate  of 
all  England  has  considered  it  Ids  privilege  to  advocate  the 
"  sowing  beside  all  waters"  of  the  seed  of  Divine  truth. 

From  the  cathedral  pulpit  of  England's  capital  city,  he  has  borne 
his  testimony  that  "  God's  word  is  truth,"  and  fitted  to  the  dis- 
persion of  all  "  vain  traditions,"  and  has  not  hesitated  to  say  of 
those  who  devised  a  scheme  for  its  general  circulation,  that  ^'  it 
was  well  that  it  was  in  their  heart,"  and  that  their  exertions 
have  his  heartiest  sympathy.  May  the  word  from  his  lips  have 
free  course  and  prevail  I* 

On  the  4th  of  May,  1530,  another  scene  of  burning  Bibles 
also  took  place  under  Wolsey' s  eye.  He  had  begun  to  burn 
Luther's  books,  at  Paul's-cross,  in  1521.  Three  burnings,  there- 
fore, were  witnessed  on  this  spot,  which  has  been  well  called 
'^  the  Thermopylae  of  the  Reformation." 

But  the  people  still  went  on  reading  the  words  of  life.  Here 
the  reformers  preached  Christ  and  his  gospel.  Multitudes  ga- 
thered round  the  rude  old  rostrum,  in  seats  or  standing,  while 
even  the  king  and  his  court,  the  lord  mayor  and  dignified  citi- 
zens, had  their  covered  galleries,  in  which  to  listen.  When  it 
was  stormy,  the  crowd  sheltered  under  what  were  called  the 
Ehrouds  of  the  cathedral. 

The  churchyard  was  then  much  larger  than  at  present.  It 
was  bounded  by  a  wall  which  ran  along  Ave-Maria-lane,  Carter- 
lane,  and  Creed-lane.  Within  was  a  spacious  grass-plot,  and  on 
the  north  side  of  the  church  stood  the  famous  cross,  "  built  to 
put  passengers  in  mind  to  pray  for  the  souls  of  the  people  inter- 


*  See  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury's  sermon  at  St.  Paul's  on  the  occasiou 
af  the  Jubilee  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society. 


164  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


red  in  that  clmrch-yard/^*  This  cross  was  destroyed,  in  1643^ 
in  consequence  of  a  vote  of  I'arliament. 

To  return  to  the  last  days  of  Tyndal.  He  was  made  aware,  in 
some  way,  of  the  storm  that  was  raging  in  England,  and  went  on 
the  more  earnestly  with  his  translation  of  the  Old  Testament 
from  the  Hebrew.  He  was  now  favoured  with  the  company  and 
assistance  of  his  dear  Chiistian  friend,  John  Fryth,  who  was  to 
him  what  Timothy  was  to  Paul  of  old.  They  were  settled  at 
Antwerp,  and  Tyndal  was  chaplain  to  the  English  merchants 
there ;  yet  his  abode  was  a  hidden,  and  probably  a  changing  one, 
on  account  of  his  enemies.  One  to  whom  we  are  all  so  deeply 
indebted  was  living  in  painful  and  perilous  hiding-places,  afflicted 
with  cold,  hunger,  and  every  privation,  in  addition  to  the  hinder- 
ances  continually  thrown  in  his  way,  to  the  prosecution  of  his  work. 

Yet  a  heavenly  atmosphere  so  appeared  to  surround  him,  that 
the  messengers  sent  by  King  Henry  YIII.  to  entrap  and  bring 
him  to  England,  could  not  talk  with  him,  without  being  ready 
to  be  converted  to  his  sentiments.  When  the  last  successful  plot 
against  his  life  was  laid,  the  persons  who  executed  it  were  obliged 
to  bring  with  them  officers  from  Brussels,  for  they  could  not 
trust  those  at  Antwerp,  where  Tyndal  was  so  much  beloved. 
He  was  not  aware  of  his  betrayers,  and  was  thrown  into  prison 
at  Vilvoord,  a  village  near  Brussels,  where  he  remained  two 
years,  and  whence  he  wrote  his  beautiful  letters  to  his  friend  Fryth, 
who  was  martyred  in  Smithfield.  Part  of  his  work  also  in  the 
prison  was  that  edition  of  the  New  Testament  which  he  had 
promised  to  give  to  the  ploughboys  of  Gloucestershire. 

It  was  on  Friday,  the  6th  day  of  October,  in  the  year  1536, 
that  Tyndal  was  led  forth  to  be  put  to  death.  He  was  fastened 
to  the  stake,  crying  out  with  a  loud  voice,  ''  Lord,  open  the  King 
of  England's  eyes !"  and  was  then  immediately  strangled,  and 
his  body  consumed  to  ashes.  Mr.  Offer  says,  that  he  appears  to 
have  beei  sacrificed  in  spite  of  the  most  earnest  efforts  of  all  the 
friends  of  truth  and  liberty. 

*Peiiant's  "London." 


wolsey's  greatness  and  degradation.  165 


Let  us  contrast  for  a  moment  the  death  of  Wolsey,  six  years 
before  that  of  Tyndal,  on  the  29th  of  November,  1530  :  he  ex- 
pired witli  the  language  of  a  persecutor  on  his  lips.  After  the 
well-known  words,  ^'  Had  I  but  served  God  as  diligently  as  I 
have  served  my  king,  He  would  not  have  given  me  over  in  my 
gray  hairs,"  he  said,  '^  Commend  me  to  his  royal  majesty,  and 
request  him,  in  God's  name,  that  he  be  on  the  watch  to  depress  this 
new  sect  of  Lutherans,  from  whose  mischief  God  in  his  mercy 
defend  us  !"  And  with  these  words,  his  eyes  being  set  in  his 
head,  his  sight  failed  him,  and  his  spirit  passed  into  anothei 
world,  to  give  account  of  the  things  he  had  done  in  this. 

He  had  indeed  been  clothed  in  purple  and  scarlet,  he  had  had 
the  highest  nobles  for  his  household  servants,  his  steward  and 
treasurer  had  waited  on  him  in  white  robes,  and  his  master-cook 
in  damask  satin,  as  they  did  in  kings'  palaces.  He  had  been 
for  twenty  years  the  favourite  of  all  the  princes  in  Europe ;  but 
he  died  in  disgrace,  in  Leicester  Abbey,  and  his  very  tomb  there 
is  unknown.  In  1787,  as  a  labourer  was  digging  potatoes  upon 
the  spot  where  the  high  altar  of  this  abbey  is  supposed  to  have 
stood,  he  found  a  human  skull,  with  the  bones  all  perfect :  it  was 
conjectured  at  the  time  that  this  might  be  the  skull  of  Wolsey; 
— of  Wolsey  ! — who  burned  the  Bible  !  It  is  a  fact  to  be  noticed, 
that  he  thus  died  in  disgrace,  in  the  year  1530,  the  year  of  its 
third  and  great  burning  at  Paul's  Cross.* 

The  dying  voice  of  the  martyr  Tyndal  had  scarcely  been  ut- 
tered, before  his  prayer  was  answered,  and  the  eyes  of  the  King 
of  England  were  opened  so  far,  that  he  ordered  that  the  Bible 
should  be  placed  in  every  church,  for  the  free  use  of  the  people : 
but  his  caprice  did  not  allow  this  permission  to  last  long. 


*  See  "  London  in  the  Olden  Times." 


166  THE   BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


The  scene  depicted  in  the  Frontispiece^  of  this  Jubilee  Book 
took  place  in  the  crypt  of  St.  Paul's  churchy  four  j'^ears  after 
Tyndal's  death. 

The  Bible  chained  to  a  pillar  is  very  large.  It  was  called  the 
''  Great  Bible/^  and  was  a  revisal  of  Tyndal's  translation,  made 
by  Coverdale,  and  printed  at  Paris. 

The  reader's  name  is  Porter  :  he  was  chosen  as  reader,  because 
he  could  read  well  and  had  an  audible  voice.  So  many  listened 
to  him,  that  he  was  brought  before  Bonner,  and  accused  of  making 
tumults.  Bonner  sent  him  to  Newgate,  where,  for  teaching  his 
fellow-prisoners  what  he  had  learned  in  the  Scripture,  he  was 
laid  in  the  lower  dungeon  of  all,  fastened  by  his  neck  to  the  wall, 
and  was  so  oppressed  with  bolts  and  irons,  that  in  eight  days, 
this  tall,  strong,  young  man  was  found  dead. 

The  most  conspicuous  among  the  listeners  in  the  picture  is 
Humphrey  Monmouth,  Tyndal's  friend,  of  whom  we  have  pre- 
viously spoken.  Behind  him  is  seated  Ann  Askew,  her  head 
leaning  on  her  hand  ;  her  child  in  her  servant's  arms  is  by  her 
side. 

She  had  been  turned  out  of  doors  by  her  husband,  a  furious 
zealot  of  the  "  Old  Learning/'  for  studying  the  Scriptures.  She 
was  a  beautiful  and  an  educated  woman,  and  her  history  is  most 
touching.  You  see  she  is  here  listening  earnestly  to  the  reading 
of  the  Book  for  which  she  suifered  martyrdom. 

Six  years  afterward,  she  was  called  before  Bonner,  who  exa- 
mined her  for  five  hours,  and  then,  without  judge  or  jury,  told  her 
she  should  be  burnt.  "  I  have  searched  all  the  Scriptures,'^  said 
she,  ^^  yet  could  I  never  find  that  either  Christ  or  his  apostles  put 
any  creature  to  death.'' 

Before  this  hasty  condemnation,  she  had  been  nearly  starved 
in  the  prison,  where  she  was  kept  for  eleven  days,  what  suste- 
nance she  got,  being,  as  she  says,  "  through  means  of  her  maid, 


*  This  beautiful  picture  was  painted  by  George  Harvey,  R.  S.  A.,  and  has 
Deen  exquisitely  engraved  by  llobert  Graves,  A.  R.  A.  It  has  been  reduced 
oy  that  pnnco  of  engravers,  the  Sun,  through  the  wonderful  art  of  Photography. 


MARTYRDOM    OF   ANN    ASKEW.  167 


who,  as  she  went  along  the  streets  Tvith  the  child^  made  moan  to 
the  prentices,  and  they  by  her  did  send  money;  but  who  they 
were  I  never  knew/' 

Then,  strange  to  say,  after  the  passing  of  this  sentence,  with 
Tinheard-of  cruelty  she  was  racked,  to  make  her  discover  other 
persons  of  her  sect.  You  shall  have  the  history  of  her  sufferings 
from  her  own  lips. 

*'  Then  they  did  put  me  on  the  rack,  because  I  confessed  no 
ladies  or  gentlemen  to  be  of  my  opinion,  and  thereon  they  kept 
me  for  a  long  time ;  and  because  I  lay  still  and  did  not  cry,  my 
Lord  Chancellor  Wriothesley  and  Mr.  Kich  took  pains  to  rack 
me  with  their  own  hands  till  I  was  wellnigh  dead;  then  the 
lieutenant.  Sir  Anthony  Knevett,  caused  me  to  be  loosed,  and  I 
swooned,  and  then  they  recovered  me  again.  After  that,  I  sat 
tiuo  long  hours,  reasoning  with  my  lord  chancellor,  on  the  bare 
floor,  where  he  with  many  flattering  words  persuaded  me  to  alter 
my  opinion ;  then  was  I  brought  to  a  house  and  laid  on  a  bed, 
with  as  weary  and  painful  bones  as  ever  had  patient  Job.'' 

Three  days  afterward  this  tragedy  came  to  an  end.  The 
burning,  like  those  of  Nero,  was  deferred  till  nightfall.  Then 
was  Smithfield  bright  with  torchlight.  On  a  bench  elevated 
above  the  crowd  sat  that  man  Wriothesley  and  his  grace  of  Nor- 
folk (who,  in  the  picture,  is  standing  resting  on  his  sword,  be- 
hind Ann  Askew's  chair,)  and  beside  them  sat  Bowes,  the  lord 
mayor. 

To  the  spot,  Ann  (her  bones  being  all  dislocated)  required  to 
be  carried  in  a  chair,  and  there  she  was  joined  on  the  gloomy 
pile  by  three  fellow-sufferers, — the  last  group  of  martyrs  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  YIII.,  the  miscalled  father  of  our  Keformation. 

Wriothesley  then  presented  to  jinn  the  king's  pardon,  if  she 
would  recant.  "I  came  not  hither,''  said  she,  ''  to  deny  my  Lord 
and  Master."  Then  were  the  flames  kindled,  and  the  spirits  of 
the  martyrs  ascended  to  heaven  ! 


168 


THE    BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


[The  other  three  martyrs  are,  in  the  picture,  standing  near 
the  Duke  of  Norfolk.  John  Adams,  the  first,  is  leaning  with 
his  back  to  the  j^illar ;  John  Lascelles,  the  second,  and  one  of 
the  king's  household,  is  earnestly  listening  to  the  reading  of  Por- 
ter ;  and  Belenians,  the  third,  is  a  little  behind  Adams. 

Behind  Ann  Askew's  chair  stands  the  wife  of  a  London  citizen, 
apparently  listening  with  deep  attention.  An  aged  man  is  led  in, 
leaning  on  the  arm  of  his  daughter,  whose  little  boy  bears  a 
chair  for  his  grandfather.  A  blind  beggar,  in  the  foreground, 
has  also  crept  in  to  hear  the  reading. 

On  the  right,  in  the  shadowy  part  of  the  picture,  Bonner  is 
the  most  conspicuous,  accompanied  by  his  archdeacon,  and  Drs. 
Hugh  Weston  and  Storey.  The  bishop  looks  vexed  at  this  pub- 
lic reading,  and  a  monk  near  him  aids  him  in  the  resolve  to  put 
it  down. 

On  the  left,  wearing  a  long  beard,  is  Gardiner,  bishop  of  Win- 
chester, and  Lord  Cromwell,  who  had  promoted  this  reading ; 
beside  them  stand  Miles  Coverdale  and  Ptichard  Grrafton.] 


Luther. 


While  this  was  passing 
in  England,  there  had 
been  born  in  an  obscure 
village  in  Saxony,  a  re- 
markable man,  named 
Martin  Luther.  He  was 
born  November  10th, 
1483,  about  100  years 
after  the  death  of  Wiclil. 
It  is  not  necessary  for  us 
to  enter  into  the  detail  of 
Jus  history,  for  the  simple 
reason  that  it  is  already 
so  well  known.  Who  has 
not  heard  of  Martin  Lu- 
ther ?    the  child  brought 


MAJEITIN   LUTHER.  .  169 


ap  in  poverty  and  hardship,  singing  Christmas  carols  for  a  morsel 
sf  bread,  afterward  the  studious  young  monk  in  the  library  of 
Erfurth  monastery,  poring  over  the  Latin  Bible,  then  newly 
printed,  and  "  finding  there  much  more  than  he  had  ever  seen  in 
his  missal/'  and  still,  years  after,  resorting  to  the  chained  Bible 
m  the  church  of  his  convent,  and,  while  he  learned  portions  of  it 
by  heart,  resolving  that  he  would  unchain  it  for  the  world. 

If  you  do  not  know  the  history  of  this  great  German  reformer, 
you  must  seek  to  know  it.  The  whole  reading-time  of  your 
future  lives  might  be  well  occupied  in  filling  up  this  mere  outline 
of  the  Story  of  the  Book,  which  cannot  even  name  the  names, 
much  less  give  definite  sketches  of  the  lives,  of  all  the  men  of 
the  Book. 

It  is  enough  to  tell  you  now,  that  Luther  was  raised  up  by 
God,  on  the  continent  of  Europe,  in  the  sixteenth  century,  to 
struggle  manfully  with  that  great  Roman  system,  of  which  you 
have  so  long  been  reading.  He  was  a  man  of  mighty  mind,  and 
of  much  prayer,  who  cast  off  gradually  the  worst  superstitions 
ot  his  order,  and  at  last,  as  has  been  beautifully  said,  by  the 
author  of  ''  Universal  History  on  Scriptural  Principles,''  rushed 
like  a  torrent  from  the  mountains,  through  the  channels  of  the 
water-courses  of  the  Divine  word,  (stopped  up  for  ages  by  Satan 
and  foolish  men,)  and,  carried  away  with  his  force  those  blocks 
and  barriers,  so  that,  ever  since,  that  word  has  had  free  course, 
and  prevailed." 

This  was  a  mighty  deed  for  mortal  man  !  It  was  not  accom- 
plished in  his  own  strength.  We  again  advise  you  to  see  how  he 
performed  it,  during  his  life  of  sixty-three  years. 

Notwithstanding  all  his  aggressions  on  the  papacy,  (for  he  even 
burned  its  bulls,  or  decrees,)  he  died  in  peace  in  his  native  town, 
in  1546,  the  year  of  the  martyrdom  of  Ann  Askew. 


With  regard  to  the  300  years  which  have  elapsed  since  this 
memorable  era,  they  will  come  into  review,  more  or  less,  in  the 
history  of  the  Bible  and  the  Bible  Souiety  for  the  last  fifty  years. 

15 


170  THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


The  newly  Reformed  Cliurch  in  all  lands,  with  its  printed 
Bible  in  its  hand,  had  its  many  martyrs.  It  also  needed  to  be 
purified  by  suffering ;  but  "  tbe  king  who  cast  into  prison,  or 
gave  to  tbe  flames,  men  like  Hitton,  Bennet,  Patmore,  Bayfield, 
Bilney,  and  Fryth,  should  never  have  been  called  ^  the  father  of 
the  Reformation  in  England.'  He  was  its  executioner."  And 
he  was  worthy  to  be  the  father  of  a  queen  like  Mary,  who  thought 
to  quench  in  blood,  once  more,  the  dawning  light  of  Divine  truth. 
But  it  was  unquenchable. 

Between  the  years  1380  and  1804,  that  is,  between  Wiclif  s 
first  English  version  of  the  Scriptures,  in  manuscript,  and  the 
establishment  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  the 
Scriptures  were  not  only  translated  but  printed  in  the  ancient 
languages  which  were  the  roots  of  all  the  others : 

1.  In  Latin,  printed  at  Mayence,  in  1462. 

2.  In  Hebrew,  printed  at  Brescia,  in  1488. 

3.  In  Greek,  the  New  Testament  of  Erasmus,  in  1516. 

4.  In  Syriac,  the  Peshito  version,  in  1552. 

These  were  chiefly  combined  in  Polyglot  Bibles  for  the  learned. 
The  whole  Bible  was  also  printed,  in  the  following  European 
versions : 

1.  Bohemian,  by  the  United  Brethren,  in  1488. 

2.  Belgic,  or  Flemish,  in  1518. 

3.  French,  by  Le  Fevre,  in  1530. 

4.  German,  by  Luther,  in  1530. 

-    5.  English,  by  Tyndal  and  Coverdale,  in  1535. 

6.  Swedish,  by  Laurentius,  in  1541. 

7.  Danish,  ordered  by  King  Christian  III.,  in  1550. 

8.  Polish,  or  Old  Cracow  Bible,  in  1561. 

9.  Spanish,  by  De  Reyna,  in  1569. 

10.  Sclavonic,  ordered  by  the  Duke  of  Ostrog,  in  1581. 

11.  Carniolan,  by  Dalmatin,  m  i584. 

12.  Icelandic,  or  Norse,  in  1584. 

13.  Welsh,  by  Dr.  Morgan,  in  1588. 

14.  Hungarian,  by  Pastor  Caroli,  in  1589. 

15.  Dutch,  in  the  year  of  the  plague  at  Leyden,  in  1637. 


VERSIONS  PREVIOUS  10  1804.  171 


16.  Italian,  bj  Diodati,  in  1611. 

17.  Wallachian,  or  Moldavian,  in  1668. 

18.  Komanese,  in  1679. 

19.  Irish,  by  Bishop  Bedell,  in  1686. 

20.  Livonian,  or  Lettish,  by  Ernest  Grluck,  in  1689. 

21.  Esthonian,  by  Fisher,  in  1689. 

22.  Gaelic,  in  Roman  characters,  in  1690. 

23.  Wendish,  or  Lusatian,  by  four  Lutheran  pastors,  in  1728. 

24.  Leval-Esthonian,  at  the  expense  of  Count  Zinzendorf,  in 

1739. 

25.  Portuguese,  in  1571. 

26.  Manks,  for  the  Isle  of  Man,  by  the  Society  for  Promoting 

Christian  Knowledge,  in  1767. 
The  New  Testament  or  parts  of  the  Scriptures  had  also  been 
translated  or  printed  in — 

27.  Servian,  in  1493  ; 

28.  Russian,  by  Skorina,  in  1525 ; 

29.  Finnish,  by  the  Bishop  of  Abo,  in  1548; 

30.  Judeo-Spanish,  in  1553  ; 

31.  French  Basque,  at  the  expense  of  the  Queen  of  Navarre, 

in  1571; 

32.  Lapponese,  in  1755. 

Comprising   thirty-two   versions  for  Europe,  in  the    common 
tongue,  and  four  for  the  learned  world. 

The  New  Testament  had  been  printed— 

FOR   AFRICA. 

1.  In  Coptic,  in  1716. 

2.  In  Sahidic,  (one-third  of  the  New  Testament,)  in  1799. 

FOR   AMERICA. 

1.  In  New  England  Indian,  (the  whole  Bible,)  by  Eliot,  in  1663 , 

2.  For  the  Mohawks,  (a  small  portion,)  in  1769. 

3.  For  Greenland,  (the  New  Testament,)  by  Hans  Egede  and 

Fabricius,  in  1799. 


172  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY 


FOR   ASIA. 

1  la  Turkish-Tartar,  by  an  Englishman,  in  1666 

2.  Karaite-Tartar,  date  unknown. 

3.  In  Arabic,  (whole  Bible,)  in  1700. 

4.  In  Tamil,  by  Schultze,  in  1724. 

5.  In  Malayan,  (whole  Bible,)  by  Leidekker,  in  1733. 

6.  In  Cingalese,  (the  four  Gospels,)  in  1739. 

7.  In  Calmuc,  (various  portions,)  in  1750. 

8.  In  Hindustani,  by  Schultze,  in  1758. 

9.  In  Bengalee,  in  1801. 

In  ancient  languages  ...  4 

For  Europe 32 

For  Africa          ....  2 

For  America  .....  3 

For  Asia    .....  9 

Total     .         .  50 

— completing  the  number  of  fifty  difi'erent  languages,  in  which 
the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  said,  in  his  sermon  at  St.  Paul, 
"  the  society  at  its  establishment  found  existing  versions."  We 
thought  3^ou  would  like  to  know  what  these  versions  were,  and 
have  abstracted  the  list  of  them  for  you,  from  that  most  valuable 
work  of  Messrs.  Bagster  and  Sons,  "  The  Bible  of  Every  Land,'' 
in  which  may  be  found  a  mass  of  that  kind  of  information,  con- 
cerning the  spread  of  God's  word,  which  even  "  the  angels  might 
desire  to  look  into,"  and  which  has  never,  in  one  view,  been  pre- 
sented to  the  world  before. 

This  list  may  possibly  seem  to  you  to  contain  mere  names  of 
books  and  men,  but  to  those  who  could  cast  the  eye  of  their 
minds  over  the  most  interesting  histories  which  hang  upon  each 
line  of  it,  it  would  appear,  as  it  is,  a  record  which  will  assuredly 
;-e  thought  worthy  of  remembrance  even  in  the  world  to  come. 

Some  of  the  versions  have  been  already  noticed.  The  Dutch, 
at  Leyden,  was  the  work  of  twenty-eight  translators,  who  always 
met  and  entered  upon  their  task  with  prayer.     Six  hours  were 


VERSTONS  PREVIOUS  TO  1804.  173 


daily  devoted  to  it,  while  the  plague  was  raging  round  them. 
Not  one  was  attacked  by  the  disease,  yet  not  one  long  survived 
the  completion  of  the  sacred  volume.  They  were  all  men  of 
great  learning,  and  many  declared  that  they  had  never  before 
laboured  as  they  did  at  the  translation  of  the  Bible. 

In  Turkish-Tar tary,  the  missionaries  while  at  work  had  to  con- 
tend with  all  the  inclemency  of  the  weather ;  and  often,  from  the 
incursions  of  the  robbers,  were  obliged  to  bury  their  types. 

The  meetings  for  the  translation  of  the  Malayan  version  were 
always  begun  with  prayer  and  concluded  with  thanksgiving,  and 
every  difference  of  opinion  reconsidered  in  solitude,  with  the 
greatest  care. 

The  history  of  the  Tamil  version  is  extremely  interesting. 
This  language  is  spoken  in  Southern  India,  by  more  than  six 
millions  of  people.  It  was  begun  by  the  Danish  missionary, 
Ziegenbalg,  who  died  at  thirty-six,  in  the  midst  of  his  earnest 
labours ;  also  by  the  indefatigable  Schultze,  a  missionary  from  the 
Society  in  Engird  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge.  He 
devoted  to  this  translation  six  hours  a  day,  amid  the  heats  of 
India ;  and  the  result  of  the  first  distribution  of  that  Bible  was 
such,  that  when  the  Bible  Society  arose,  the  ten  or  twelve  thou- 
sand Protestant  Christians  were  clamorous  for  more,  saying  to  Dr. 
Buchanan,  "  We  do  not  want  bread  or  money  from  you,  but  we 
want  the  word  of  God.''^ 

Then  the  New  England  Indian,  translated  by  the  English  mis- 
sionary, John  Eliot,  who  had  first,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
native  Mohicans,  to  create  the  language,  without  any  aid  from 
books,  and  executed  a  translation  of  the  entire  Scriptures ! 
"  The  secret  of  his  success  is  made  known  in  a  few  lines  which 
are  inscribed  at  the  close  of  his  '  Grammar  of  the  New  England 
Language,'  published  in  1666 — 'Prayers  and  pains,  through 
faith  in  Christ  Jesus,  will  accomplish  any  thing.'  " 

But  although,  when  the  Society  was  first  established,  the  trans- 
lations of  the  Bible,  in  whole  or  in  part,  may  have  been  about 
fifty,  and  it  was  considered  that  ahout  four  millions  of  Bibles  had 
been  circulated  in  the  world  since  the  invention  of  printing,  you 

15* 


174  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


must  consider  what  is  meant  by  the  words  "four  millions." 
Think  first  of  a  hundred  Bibles ;  then  of  ten  hundred,  or  a  thou- 
Band ;  then  of  a  thousand  thousand ;  then  of  four  times  that.  It 
seems  a  great  many.  It  takes  a  very  long  while  to  count  a  mil- 
lion, straight  forward.  But  then  you  have  also  to  think  of  the 
number  of  people  in  the  world, — not  four  thousand  thousand, 
but  ten  hundred  thousand  thousand !     And  what  are  4  to  1000  ? 

These  four  millions  of  Bibles  were  in  circulation  from  various 
sources.  Many  persons  had  bought  them  of  booksellers.  There 
were  some  societies,  both  in  England  and  in  foreign  countries, 
which  arose  in  the  eighteenth  century,  among  the  separate  sec- 
tions of  the  Christian  Church,  having  in  view  missions  to  the 
heathen  and  the  local  diffusion  of  the  word  of  God,  and  their 
efforts,  made  separately  from  each  other,  had  done  much.  It 
now  remained  for  their  united  efforts  to  do  more ;  and  the  only 
object  in  which  they  coidd  all  unite  was,  the  circulation  through- 
out the  world  of  the  sacred  Book,  without  note  or  comment. 
How  this  idea  of  union  for  that  word's  sake  arose,  and  how  it 
prospered  and  has  received  the  blessing  of  God,  is  the  Story  that 
remains  to  be  told,  and  we  hope  you  wish  to  hear  it. 


We  shall  sum  up  what  we  have  already  set  before  you  nearly 
in  the  words  of  Dr.  Gaussen,  of  Geneva ;  for  they  contain  a  re- 
view of  our  whole  narrative. 

When  one  thinks  that  the  Bible  has  been  copied  during  thirty 
centuries,  as  no  book  of  man  ever  was,  or  ever  will  be,  that  it 
was  subjected  to  all  the  wandering  experience  of  Israel,  that  it 
was  transported  seventy  years  to  Babylon,  that  it  had  seen  itself 
so  often  persecuted,  or  forgotten,  or  forbidden,  or  burned, — when 
one  thinks  that  it  has  had  to  traverse  the  first  three  centuries  of 
pagan  persecutions,  when  persons  found  in  possession  of  the  holy 
books  were  thrown  to  the  wild  beasts, — next  the  seventh,  eighth, 
and  ninth  centuries,  when  false  books  and  false  legends  were 
everywhere  multiplied, — the  tenth  and  eleventh  centuries,  when 
m  few  could  read  even  among  princes, — the  twelfth,  thirteenth, 


PRESERVATION    OF   THE    SCRIPTURES.  175 


md  fourteenth  centuries,  when  the  use  of  the  Scriptures  in  the 
v^ulgar  tongue  was  punished  with  death,  and  when  the  books  of 
cne  ancient  fathers  were  mutilated, — tJieii  we  can  perceive  how 
certain  it  is  that,  on  the  one  hand,  the  providence  of  God  has 
put  forth  its  mighty  power,  causing  the  Church  of  the  Jews  to 
give  us,  in  its  integrity,  the  very  book  which  records  its  revolts, 
which  predicts  its  ruin,  which  describes  Jesus  Christ; — and,  on 
the  other  hand,  that  that  same  providence  has  caused  the  Roman 
Church  (which  in  particular  forbade  its  people  to  read  the  sacred 
books,  and  gave  them  in  the  stead  of  the  word  of  God  the  tra- 
ditions of  the  middle  ages)  to  transmit  to  us,  in  all  their  purity, 
those  very  Scriptures,  which  say  that  Rome  would  be  the  seat  of 
a  terrible  apostasy,  which  say  of  images,  ^'Thou  shalt  not  make  or 
bow  down  to  them;"  of  unknown  tongues,  "Thou  shalt  not  use 
them ;"  of  the  cup,  "  Drink  ye  all  of  it ;''  of  marriage,  "It  is 
honourable  in  all;'^  and  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  "  Woman^  what 
have  I  to  do  with  thee  V 

^'  Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but  my  words  shall  not 
pass  away."  Matt.  xxiv.  35.  "  The  grass  withereth,  the  flower 
fadeth,  but  the  word  of  our  Grod  shall  stand  for  ever."  Isa,  xl.  8. 


^t  fml  nnn  iU  $teg. 


PART  11. 

THE  BIBLE  SOCIETY'S  HOUSE. 

THE  PRINTING  Am)  BrNDING  OF  THE 

BIBLE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  Bible  House — Its  Library — Wiclif's  Testament — Tyndal's  Bible— Cover- 
dale's  Bible — The  Geneva  Bible — The  Bishop's  Bible — Authorized  Version — 
Welsh  Bible — European  Languages — Swedish  Bible — Polyglots — Dutch  Bi- 
ble— Luther's  Bible — Bohemian  Bible — Eastern  Languages — Persian  Testa- 
ment— Pali,  Hinduwee,  Bengalee,  etc. — Separate  Translations  of  the  Bible 
into  Chinese — The  Lord's  Prayer  in  all  Languages — The  Douay  Version — 
The  Society^s  departed  Friends — The  Manuscript  Library — The  Breton  Bi- 
ble— Wales  and  Britanny — Syrian,  Persian,  Chinese,  Ethiopic,  and  Amharie 
Manuscripts — The  Amharie  Bible — Mr.  Jowett's  Account  of  it — How  the  So- 
ciety obtains  its  Translations — Their  Ptevisioa — The  General  Committee 
Room — The  Case  of  Bibles — The  Bible  for  the  Blind — The  Sub-committee 
Room — Portraits — The  Bible  Warehouse. 

We  have  now  given  you  the  history  of  what  are  called  "  the 
manuscript  ages  of  the  Bible/'  when  it  could  only  be  written  out 
with  great  labour,  and  much  cost;  and  we  have  alluded  to  the 
years  in  which  it  was  first  multiplied  by  printing,  but  not  in  any 
measure  adequately  to  the  wants  of  the  world. 

You  have,  therefore,  it  is  probable,  some  desire  to  hear  all  you 
san  about  the  House  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  in 
Earl-street,  London,  built  within  the  precincts  of  the  old  monas- 
tery of  the  Black-friars, — the  spot  from  which  the  word  of  God 
now  goes  out  to  all  the  earth. 

Do  you  think,  as  we  did,  that  there  are  warehouses  and  work- 
shops, somewhere  in  the  back  premises  of  this  Bible  House, 
where  they  print  all  their  own  books,  and  bind  them  before  they 
send  them  away,  at  the  rate  of  many  thousands  a  week,  all  over 
the  world,  and  all  the  year  round?  Well,  then,  this  was  a  mis- 
take ;  for  the  Bible  House  itself  consists  only  of  warehouses  for 
its  Bibles,  offices  for  its  depositary  and  accountant,  rooms  for  its 
committees  and  secretaries,  and  a  library  of  the  various  editions 
of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  works  relating  to  the  numerous  trans* 
latious. 

179 


180  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS   STORY. 


THE   LIBRARY 

Contains  some  curious  literary  treasures.  You  would  find  tiiere 
at  least  one  copy  of  the  Scriptures  in  every  language  in  which 
they  have  been  printed,  and  in  many  cases  several  editions  of 
each.  Here  is  Wiclif  s  New  Testament,  printed  in  1810, — i26 
years  after  his  death.  The  spelling  is  very  different  from  that 
which  we  now  use.     The  following  is  a  specimen ;  John  i.  1-5  : — 

1  IN  the  bigynnynge  was  the  word  and  the  word  was  at  god,  and  god  wa« 
the  word,  2  this  was  in  the  bigynnynge  at  god,  3  alle  thingis  weren  made  bi 
hym:  and  withouten  hym  was  made  no  thing,  that  thing  that  was  made  4  in 
him  was  liif,  and  the  liif  was  the  lijt  of  men,  5  and  the  ligt  schyneth  in  derk- 
nessis;  and  derknessis  comprehendiden  not  it. 

You  may  also  see  Tyndal's  Bible  in  black  letter,  of  which  the 
following  is  a  specimen;  John  i.  1-5: — 

^  $i^  tije  ictjinnpnge  teas  tf)e  bjortic,  anti  tije  boitie  h)as 
hjfti)  ©0^:  antf  tljc  toorte  bas  (^otr.  ^  Ci)e  same  toas  in 
ti)t  brginngnge  \nitf)  (!roti.  ^  Ell  tfjingcs  toere  maht  tjg  it, 
'anti  toitij  out  it,  teas  matie  nott)inge,  tf)at  bjas  matie.  *  In 
it  teas  Igfr,  antj  ti)e  Ipfe  teas  tje  Iggjt  of  men,  ^  antJ  tje 
IJiOit  sftgnettj  in  tf)e  tiarcfenes,  but  tje  ^arcltnes  compeer 
f}tnhtti  it  not. 

This  is  the  version  which  our  forefathers  welcomed  so  warmly, 
and  for  which  they  suffered  so  much, — the  New  Testament  which 
Anthony  Dalaber  '^read  on  his  knees,  with  many  a  deep  sigh  and 
salt  tear.''     The  date  of  this  is  1524. 

Then  there  is  Coverdale's  Bible,  printed  in  1535,  dedicated  to 
Henry  VIII.  This  is  the  version  of  which  it  was  said,  hj  that 
capricious  king,  "Let  it  go  abroad  among  my  people," — ''the 
Boke  of  the  whole  Bible  in  English,''  which  was  laid  in  the  choir 
of  every  church  ''for  every  man  that  willed  to  look  and  read 
thereon," — not  that  Henry  continued  his  permission  to  the  end 
of  his  own  reign,  for  the  clergy  persuaded  him  that  the  people 
made  a  ba(j  use  of  it.     By  another  act  which  he  passed,  he  for- 


GENEVA   AND    BISHOP's    VERSIONS.  181 


bade  the  lower  classes  to  read  it,  but  allowed  it  as  an  indulgence 
to  "noblimen,  gentlemen,  and  ladies  of  quality,  in  their  houses, 
orchards,  and  gardens,  quietly;  and  to  read  it  to  themselves 
alone,  not  to  others."  Still,  from  1526  to  1546,  when  Henry 
VIII.  died,  a  period  of  twenty  years,  thirty-one  impressions  of 
the  Bible  or  New  Testament  issued  from  the  press,  besides  several 
editions  of  separate  books  of  Scripture. 

In  his  son  Edward  YI.'s  short  reign  of  seven  years,  the  word 
of  God  was  read  with  greediness,  and  every  one  that  could  read 
bought  the  Book,  and  busily  read  it,  or  heard  it  read, — many 
elderly  persons  learning  to  read  on  purpose.  Eleven  editions  of 
the  Bible  and  seven  of  the  New  Testament  were*  published  in 
Edward's  reign. 

Then,  as  we  know,  in  the  reign  of  Mary,  the  Bible  was  once 
more  banished  from  the  churches,  and  its  friends  exiled  or  brought 
to  the  stake. 

Many  of  these  exiles,  however,  took  refuge  in  Geneva,  and 
thence,  after  Mary's  death,  came  the  English  Geneva  Bible, 
which  was  but  a  revision  of  Tyndal's  version,  executed  after  his 
immortal  work  had  been  diligently  compared  with  the  Hebrew 
and  Greek  texts.  This  whole  Bible  was  published  at  Geneva,  in 
156,  the  second  year  of  Elizabeth's  reign.  This  was  the  Bible 
most  generally  used  in  private  houses,  and  was  the  first  English 
Bible  divided  into  verses. 

•In  this  library  may  be  seen  the  ^^  Bishops'  Bible,"  a  folio  book, 
one  of  the  two  new  translations  published  in  the  reign  of  Eliza- 
beth, under  the  superintendence  of  Archbishop  Parker,  who  em- 
ployed in  the  work  eight  bishops,  and  six  other  persons,  himself 
revising  the  whole, — a  work  that  occupied  three  years.  It  was 
published  in  1568,  and  when  finished,  the  archbishop  said,  with 
good  old  Simeon,  ''Now,  Lord,  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart 
in  peace,  according  to  thy  word,  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  sal 
vation."  The  copy  of  this  Bible,  belonging  to  the  Bible  Society, 
is  much  worm-eaten,  but  has  been  preserved  by  a  new  binding, 
in  the  style  of  the  olden  time. 

Then,  of  course,  there  is  the  Authorized  English  version,  made 

IG 


182  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


in  the  reign  of  King  James, — the  only  one  •v'^liich  the  Britisli  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society  has  ever  circulated  :  all  others  it  keeps  as 
curiosities  in  its  library,  as  well  as  for  tbe  purpose  of  comparison 
and  reference.  This  version  was  compiled  from  all  previous" 
translations  collated  with  the  original  versions,  by  fortj^-seven  of 
the  most  eminent  scholars  of  that  time,  and  the  basis  of  tbe  ver- 
sion was  still  Tyndal's.  It  was  published  in  1611,  and  continues 
to  be  our  Bible  to  the  present  day. 

Here  also  you  will  find  the  first  Welsh  Bible  ever  printed — 
the  version  of  Dr.  Morgan,  afterward  bishop  of  St.  Asaph.  It 
was  printed  in  1588,  and  is  in  black  letter.  Here  is  a  specimen; 
John  i.  1-5  :-^ 

a  ?§iBtt  oetrtr  m  fi  trechrcuatr  flj)tr  a  Bute. 

zi  ru  iunael*  iJim  a'r  a  tonacthptuBti* 

4  ^ntitro  zi  fir  octrti  tigtogtr,  ivx  tJgtogi  oetrti  olcunt 
tJgnion. 

0  ^^r  QolcunC  a  IctjgrtiiotJtr  gn  g  tgtDgUtucft,  a^r 
tgtuglltocii  nftr  oetiH  gn  ^i  amflgffutr. 

But  now,  you  must  look  round  on  the  cases  of  Bibles  in  all 
the  various  European  languages.  Among  them  you  will  see  an 
old  Swedish  Bible,  which  is  a  remarkable  cui'iosity  in  binding. 
A  picture  has  been  painted  on  the  edges  of  the  leaves,  which 
you  cannot  see  when  the  book  is  closed,  but  one  cover  being 
thrown  back,  and  the  leaves  slightly  separated,  you  perceive  an 
antique  picture  of  "  Christian'^  on  his  journey  up  the  strait 
and  narrow  way  to  the  heavenly  city. 

Not  far  off,  is  a  case  of  "  Polyglots,"  a  word  which  signifies 
the  Bible  printed  in  many  languages  at  once,  in  separate  columns; 
for  instance,  Hebrew,  Greek,  Latin,  and  English,  very  necessary 
for  learned  persons  t3  compare.  If  you  were  making  a  fresh 
translation  of  the  Bibb,  you  would  find  it  convenient  to  consult 
a  Polyglot.     These  bo^ks,  as  you  may  imagine,  are  large.     Here 


GERMAN   VERSION.  183 


is  a  Bible  in  Dutch^  weigliing  forty  pounds,  with  its  brazen 
clasps,  and  cover  of  solid  wood,  "  bound  in  boards/'  wbicb  did 
not  mean  pasteboards  in  the  days  when  that  was  printed — a  great 
contrast  to  the  pocket  Bibles  of  the  present  times,  weighing  only 
eight  or  nine  ounces,  and  to  the  tiny  edition  of  the  book  of 
Psalms  in  shorthand,  found  in  this  library. 

Would  you  like  to  see  Luther's  German  Bible  ?  The  follow 
ing  is  a  specimen  j  John  i.  1-5  : — 

3m  Stnfang  mar  ba^  SBort,  unb  ba^  SBort  toax  k^  ®ott,  unb  ©ott 
tvav  'i^av  2Bort.  • 

2  DafCelbige  n?ar  im  Slnfaitg  be^  ©Dtt» 

3  2(lle  Dinge  finb  buvd)  baffelMge  gemac^t,  unb  o^ne  bajJetBigc 
tjl  ni^tk?  gemad)t,  \va^  Qtmad)t  x]t 

4  ^n  ii)m  ivax  ba^  Seben,  unb  bau  SeBen  toax  ba^  2tc§t  ber 
9}?enfc^ett. 

5  Unb  ba^  $?tc^t  fc^einet  in  ber  ^tnfternig,  unb  bie  ^inflerniffc 
^ahm  eiJ  nid)t  Begrijfen* 

Here  is  his  Testament  of  1524,  and  the  whole  Bible  of  1567. 
He  was  the  man  "  ordained  to  present  his  nation  with  the  written 
word."  He  was  shut  up  on  purpose  to  do  it,  in  the  solitary  old 
castle  of  the  Wartburg,  where  the  narrow  windows  of  his  turret 
looked  out  on  "  dark,  untrodden,  boundless  forests,"  and  here 
he  sat  down  to  his  Hebrew  and  Greek  Bibles,  as  he  would  never 
have  been  able  to  do  in  thi?  city  of  Wittenberg,  to  fashion  that 
weapon  of  heavenly  temper — the  Scripture — in  the  tongue  of  the 
common  people,  without  which  all  his  battles  against  the  corrup- 
tions of  the  Church  of  Rome  would  have  been  in  vain. 

He  brought  forth  from  his  seclusion  a  deeper  faith  in  God's 
toord  than  ever,  and  with  it,  as  the  "  sword  of  the  Spirit,"  he 
cut  asunder  the  bonds  of  Christendom.  This  version  was,  how- 
ever, before  it  went  forth  among  the  families  of  Germany,  revised 
most  diligently  by  Luther  and  his  learned  friends.  They  were 
known  sometimes  to  return  for  fourteen  days  to  the  reconsidera- 
tion of  a  single  line,  and  even  a  word.  Melancthon  assisted  it. 
this  revision.  Luther's  own  cojpy  of  the  editi(in  of  1541  is  now  • 
deposited  in  the  British  Museum. 


184  THE  BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


Here  is  the  version  of  the  Bible  for  Bohemia — that  important 
section  of  Austria,  which  will  make  you  think  of  the  poor,  perse- 
cuted Bohemian  Christians.  They  were  the  very  first  people 
who  turned  to  account  the  art  of  printing  for  the  more  general 
distribution  of  the  Scriptures,  A.  D.  1488.  This  fact  is  stated  in 
a  letter  recently  addressed  by  the  Bev.  P.  La  Trobe  to  the  com- 
mittee of  the  Bible  Society,  enclosing  one  hundred  pounds  as  a 
Jubilee  offering  from  the  Brethren's  Society  for  the  Furtherance 
of  the  Gospel.  The  Bohemian  version  in  this  library  is  dated 
1596.     The  following  is  a. specimen;  John  i.  1-5  : — 

91a  |jocat!u  tpPo  Sl'oa^o,  a  to  ©romo  Bi^Po  i)  So^^a,  a  to  ©Poivo 
lX)V  '^ui).  ^  So  bpPo  na  |)ocatfu  v>  33o()a.  ^  Bffetf^  mec9  flrje 
ne  ijcinen^  fau,  a  Bej  ne^o  nic  ncn|  ijcineno,  C03  ticineno  gejl.  *  2B 
ncm  gin^ot  lX)V,  a  jiivot  IxjV  [wctPo  Iit»i»  ^  U  to  ftvetro  w  temno* 
fted)  fmjti,  ale  tm^  ge  ncobfa^Pp* 

On  another  side  of  the  room  are  versions  of  Scripture  in  the 
Asiatic  languages,  the  tongues  of  the  sons  of  Shem. 

This  is  the  Persian  Testament  translated  by  that  beloved  mis- 
sionary, the  Rev.  Henry  Martyn,  published  by  the  Bible  Society 
in  1827,  also  in  1837,  and  in  1847  ]  John  i.  1-5  :— 

A  recent  traveller,  Mr.  Southgate,  declares  that  he  found 
copies  of  this  version  in  every  city  in  Persia  through  which  he 
passed.  Ah !  how  this  result  would  have  cheered  the  heart  of 
that  ^  man  of  God,''  as,  feeble  and  lonely,  in  the  garden  beneath 
the  walls  of  Shiraz,  he  sacrificed  his  life  to  his  determination  to 
•dccomplish  the  translation  of  this  Testament !     How  interesting 


THE   PALI   VERSION.  185 


'is  the  liistory  of  the  conversion  of  the  Persian  MoUah  Mahomet 
Ramah,  from  the  gift  of  this  New  Testament !  We  will  give  it 
you,  in  his  own  words  :  "There  came  to  Persia,  an  Englishman, 
who  taught  the  religion  of  Christ,  with  a  boldness  we  had  never 
Been,  in  the  midst  of  much  scorn  and  ill-treatment  from  the  rab- 
ble. He  was  young,  and  feeble  with  disease.  I  was  then  a 
decided  enemy  to  infidels,  and  I,  too,  visited  this  teacher  to  treat 
him  with  scorn  and  contempt.  These  evil  feelings  left  me  be- 
neath the  influence  of  his  gentleness ;  and  before  I  quitted  Shiraz, 
I  paid  him  a  parting  visit.  The  memory  of  our  conversation  will 
never  fade  from  mj  mind  :  it  sealed  my  conversion.  He  gave 
me  a  book ;  it  has  ever  been  my  constant  companion — the  study 
of  it  my  most  delightful  occupation.  On  one  of  the  blank  leaves 
was  written,  '  There  is  joy  in  heaven  over  one  sinner  that  re- 
penteth,  (signed)  Henry  3Iartyn.'" 

This  is  the  Pali  version,  the  language  of  the  Buddhists  of  India ; 
John  i.  1,  2  :— 


SQO:?i 


S9nc^r^-.-S^^^^-^^-. ^J2 


00G^0ro00S^')X)O3G3C)cX}eC0XTOMGt?Gq 


C&)CO(o)03QOOODGG61oo 


One  of  the  Buddhist  priests  became  a  sincere  convert  while 
translating  it,  and  finished  and  revised  the  work  after  the  sudden 
death  of  his  teacher,  Mr.  Tolfrey.  The  great  translators  for  the 
continent  of  India  have  been  Dr.  Carey,  Dr.  Marshman,  and  the 
Kev.  W.  Ward,  Baptist  missionaries  at  Serampore.  They  reached 
India  in  1793  ;  and  in  1806  they  were  engaged  in  printing  or 
translating  the  Scriptures  in  six  languages.  In  1819,  they  were 
printing  the  word  of  God  in  twenty-seven  languages.  This  great 
and  glorious  work  was  carried  on  chiefly  at  the  expense  of  tne 
Bible  Society.  The  result  of  these  vast  labours  in  India,  as  of 
the  Chinese  Scriptures  in  China,  is  yet  to  be  seen  in  full ;  but  it 
IS  beginni  ig  to  appear.  The  whole  arose  from  the  quiet  propo- 
sition of  one  man,  who  was  then  obtaining  a  livelihood  by  the 
labour  of  hie  hands,  to  an  a.>sociation  of  ministers,  "  whether  in 


186  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


was  not  a  practicable  duty  to  attempt  tlie  conversion  of  the 
heathen."  This  man,  Mr.,  afterward  Dr.  Carey,  had  been  teach- 
ing himself  a  language  as  he  sat  at  his  work.  God  was  prepar- 
ing him  to  become  the  first  of  oriental  scholars,  for  the  sake  of 
his  word.  The  first  collection,  in  1793,  for  this  magnificent 
object,  among  the  Baptists,  amounted  to  13Z.  2s.  Qd.,  but  since 
then  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  have  afforded  assist- 
tance  to  Dr.  Carey  and  his  associates,  and  to  the  various  Bible 
Societies  of  India,  to  the  amount  of  more  than  two  hundred 
thousand  pounds  ! 

Two  or  three  days  before  the  death  of  Dr.  Carey,  in  1834,  he 
was  carried  down  stairs  in  a  state  of  extreme  exhaustion ;  and 
the  Rev.  G.  Gogerley,  then  a  missionary  in  Bengal,  and  his  inti- 
mate friend,  tells  us,  that  the  last  revised  sheets  of  the  last  lan- 
guage into  which  he  had  translated  the  Scriptures,  lay  upon  the 
table.  His  work  was  done,  and  he  was  ready  to  depart.  He  had 
laboured  in  India  for  forty  years,  and  had  given  to  her  the  word 
of  God,  in  whole  or  in  part,  in  about  thirty  difierent  languages. 
His  simple  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  his  deep  humility  in  that 
last  hour,  were  very  beautiful. 

Here  is  the  Chinese  Bible, — the  book  that  may  soon,  we  hope, 
be  read  by  360  millions  of  people,  who  are  almost  all  still  igno- 
rant of.  its  message.  Two  difierent  translations  were  made  about 
thirty  years  ago.  Dr.  Marshman,  with  the  help  of  other  mis- 
Bionaries,  and  of  Johannes  Lassar,  a  native  of  China,  made  a 
translation,  and  printed  it,  for  the  Bible  Society,  at  Serampore, 
in  1822  :  Dr.  Morrison  and  Dr.  Milne,  who  had  laboured  in 
China  from  the  year  1807,  completed  their  version  about  the 
same  time,  and  the  former  presented  a  printed  copy  at  the  anni- 
versary of  the  Bible  Society  in  London,  in  the  year  1824. 

Each  translation  was  good  in  its  way,  and  they  were  made  in- 
dependently of  one  another.  Dr.  Medhurst  and  other  Protestant 
missionaries  at  present  in  China,  have  recently  completed  a  re- 
vised edition,  comprising  both  the  Old  and  New  Testaments. 

It  is  said  that  the  Chinese  Testament  can  now  be  printed  in 
China  for  the  small  sum  of  fourpence ! 


THE   DOUAY   VERSION.  187 


The  library  of  the  Bible  House  also  contains  a  present  from 
Councillor  Auer,  the  Director  of  the  Imperial  printing  office  at 
Vienna, — a  specimen  of  the  Lord's  Prayer  written  in  every 
known  language  of  the  world,  and  in  every  dialect  of  the  language, 
and  in  every  age  of  the  dialect.  These  large  sheets  give  you  a 
very  comprehensive  impression  of  earth's  many  tongues.  You 
can  read  the  Lord's  Prayer  in  English,  as  it  was  written  in  the 
year  1160,  in  1370,  in  1430,  in  1526,  and  so  on,  with  slight 
variations,  up  to  the  year  1800,  which  is  the  last  given.  This 
collection  is  called  the  '^  Sprachenhalle,''  and  was  printed  at  the 
expense  of  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  under  the  superintendence 
of  Councillor  Auer. 

We  will  now  look  at  the  Douay  Bible,  which  is  also  contained 
in  this  collection,  for  you  may  often  hear  it  mentioned,  and  it  is 
right  that  you  should  have  a  little  history  of  this  translation. 

The  Douay  version  was  made  by  the  Romanists  themselves ; 
for,  as  they  found,  "  by  the  Bible  being  printed  so  often  in  Eng- 
lish, that  it  was  impossible  to  keep  it  out  of  the  hands  of  the 
common  people,"  "they  resolved  to  have  an  English  translation 
of  their  own. 

The  New  Testament  they  first  printed  at  Bheims,  in  1582, 
■^  translated  out  of  Latin,  with  notes  and  necessary  helps  (as  they 
say)  for  the  better  understanding  of  the  text,  and  the  discovery 
of  the  corruption  of  other  translations."  It  is  not,  you  perceive, 
the  Bible  without  note  or  comment. 

The  Old  Testament  was  printed  at  Douay,  in  1609.  Fuller 
says  of  it,  "  It  is  a  translation  that  had  need  to  be  translated ;" 
a  great  number  of  Greek  words,  such  as  azymes,  pasche,  etc.,  are 
left  untranslated,  which  perplexes  common  readers;  and  the 
learned  Fulke  observes,  "  that  it  is  not  truly  translated ;  that  the 
translators  have  always  laboured  to  suppress  the  light  of  truth, 
under  one  pretence  or  another."  The  notes  connected  with  this 
Douay  version  are  considered  by  Protestants  as  even  more  inju- 
rious than  the  text  itself,  which  has  been  frequently  revised  and 
reprinted  to  this  day  for  circulation  among  Roman  Catholics,  and 
is  somewhat  more  conformed  than  it  was  ^o  our  own  Authorized 


188  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


version,  but  it  always  contains  the  apocryplial  books.  We  neea 
hardly  add,  that  the  Douay  Bible  is  never  circulated  hy  the  Bible 
Society. 

If  any  persons  possessing  rare  editions  of  the  Scriptures  wish 
to  present  them  to  this  library,  they  may  confer  a  benefit  on  the 
Society,  and  are  sure  to  have  their  gifts  carefully  preserved. 

To  those  who  have  long  known  this  Bible  House,  the  library  is 
hallowed  ground,  as  having  witnessed,  from  time  to  time,  the 
presence  of  so  many  of  its  beloved  friends  and  founders,  now 
gathered  to  their  rest.  Of  the  latter,  two  only,  and  those  near 
the  end  of  their  pilgrimage,  have  survived  to  witness  its  Jubilee, 
— Dr.  Stcinkopff,  and  the  venerable  Yf  m.  Alers  Hankey,  Esq. 

The  devotedness  of  those  who  first  laboured  in  this  noble  cause 
was  illustrated  in  the  sentiment  expressed  by  its  first  president, 
Lord  Teignmouth,  who,  in  his  dying  hours,  said,  "I  would  rather 
have  been  president  of  the  Bible  Society,  than  governor-general 
of  India.^'  This  devotedness,  it  is  evident,  still  animates  those 
who  are  honourably  employed  in  conducting  the  proceedings  of 
the  Society, — and  never  may  it  be  wanting !    . 

» 

THE   MANUSCRIPT   AND   DUPLICATE   LIBRARY. 

Adjoining  this  interesting  apartment  (the  library)  is  a  lesser 
one,  called  the  Manuscript  Library,  and  here,  in  several  locked 
and  numbered  cases,  are  contained  the  written  versions  in  the 
possession  of  the  Society, — some  of  them  yet  unprinted,  and 
some  the  treasured  originals  from  which  the  Bibles  circulated  by 
the  Society  have  been  printed. 

The  Old  Testament  in  the  language  of  Lower  Britanny  is  here. 
It  is  called  the  "  Breton  Bible."  Britanny  is  a  large  country  in 
the  north-west  of  France,  800,000  of  whose  people  speak  or  un- 
derstand a  language  very  like  Welsh.  Those  who  live  in  the 
large  towns  can  understand  French,  but  nearly  half  a  million  of 
persons  in  the  country  villages  can  only  speak  the  Breton  lan- 
guage, in  which,  as  yet,  the  Old  Testament  has  never  been  printed. 
The  manuscript  vcsion  in  this  library  was  made  more  than  twentv 


VAKIOUS    M^V^USCRIPT    VERSIONS.  189 


years  ago,  by  Legonidec,  a  learned  Breton,  who  alsc  made  one  of 
the  New  Testament,  which  was  printed  in  1827. 

Though  in  many  respects  an  excellent  version,  it  is  not  an  in- 
telligible one  to  the  common  people  in  general,  and  the  Bibla 
Society  in  1847  printed,  and  has  since  circulated,  another  version 
of  the  New  Testament  made  by  the  Rev.  J.  Jenkins,  missionary 
of  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  labouring  in  that  country ;  and 
this  version  is  found  to  be  better  understood. 

Let  us  hope  that  very  soon  this  locked-up  jewel,  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, of  Legonidec's  translation,  may  be  called  for  by  the  peo- 
ple of  Britanny,  revised,  simplified,  if  need  be,  and  distributed 
throughout  the  country. 

•"A  "Welshman  requires  but  little  study  to  enable  him- to  con- 
verse, read,  and  wi'ite  in  the  Breton  language.  It  might  please 
you  to  see  the  1st  verse  of  the  1st  chapter  of  John  in  the  Welsh 
and  in  the  Breton  tongues  : — 

Welsh. — "  Yn  y  dechreuad  yr  oedd  y  Gair,  a'r  Gair  oedd  gyd  a 
Duw,  a  Duw  oedd  y  Gair." 

Breton. — "  Er  gommansamant  e  oa  ar  Ger,  hag  ar  Ger  a  gand 
Doue,  hag  ar  Ger  a  oa  Doue." 

It  is  said  by  those  who  have  visited  that  country,  that  Britanny 
is  the  darkest  part  of  France,  and  the  most  under  the  dominion 
of  the  priests  of  Rome.  The  priests  read  the  liturgy  in  Latin; 
but  in  the  country  districts  they  preach  in  Breton.  They  do  not 
favour  the  growth  of  the  French  language ;  and  Breton  will  yet 
probably  long  be  spoken  by  the  common  people. 

Here  is  another  treasure — a  Bible  in  manuscript,  once  belong- 
ing to  the  Nestorian  Christians,  bearing  the  marks  of  water,  fire, 
smoke,  and  hard  usage. 

We  cannot  but  look  with  great  interest  on  the  precious  book' 
in  its  old  manuscript  form, — in  the  form  which  it  took  long 
years  so  carefully  to  transcribe,  and  which  was  then  preserved 
in  its  pocket  of  thick  leather,  and  slung  to  the  shoulder  of  the 
pilgrim-missionary,  and  carried  by  him,  perhaps,  many  hundred 
miles. 

Look  at  this  anci(int  Syrian  Pentateuch,  written  on  vellum.     It 


190  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


has  been  badly  used  before  it  came  here ;  its  edges  are  stained 
with  damp  and  mould. 

These  beautiful  characters,  delicately  emblazoned  in  red,  and 
black,  and  gold,  are  Persian. 

And  here  is  a  copy  of  the  Ethiopic  Scriptures,  in  manuscript; 
the  penmanship  of  which  is  most  beautifully  executed.  Every 
page  is  guiltless  of  blot  or  erasure.  Another  Ethiopic  manuscript, 
emblazoned  with  grim  figures,  has  been  presented  to  the  Bible 
Society  by  that  kindred  institution,  the  Church  Missionary 
Society. 

The  Rev.  William  Jowett,  in  an  admirable  paper  he  has  written 
for  the  Bible  Society,  concerning  its  Jubilee  Year,  tells  some 
interesting  particulars  concerning  the  Amharic  version  to  be  sSen 
in  this  library. 

More  than  forty  years  ago,  the  French  consul  at  Cairo,  M.  Asselin, 
met  with  a  learned  old  Abyssinian,  who  had  been  the  instructor 
of  Bruce  the  traveller,  and  of  Sir  William  Jones.  M.  Asselin, 
having  saved  this  man's  life,  employed  him  afterward  in  trans- 
lating the  Scriptures,  book  after  book,  from  the  ancient  into  the 
modern  tongue  of  Abyssinia.  You  will  remember  that,  into  the 
ancient  language,  Gheez,  they  had  been  translated  by  Frumentius, 
A.  D.  330. 

When  finished,  the  work  long  remained  on  M.  Asselin's  hands. 
He  offered  it  to  the  French  King,  to  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  and 
to  the  Vatican  library,  in  Rome ;  but  they  all  looked  coolly  upon 
it.  Al  last,  in  the  year  1820,  the  Bible  Society,  having  heard  of 
this  version  from  Mr.  Jowett,  who  had  resided  in  the  East,  asked 
him  to  return  to  Egypt  and  purchase  it  for  tliem.  He  ascertained 
its  accuracy  by  comparing  the  first,  middle,  and  final  verse  of 
every  chapter, — a  process  which  occupied  him  eleven  days  :  the 
purchase-money  was  1250/.  It  was  then  revised  by  T.  P.  Piatt, 
Esq.,  Fellow  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge,  and  printed,  and  is 
now  distributed  in  Abyssinia. 

There  are  many  instances  recorded  of  the  readiness  with  which 
^he  people  there  are  now  receiving  the  word  of  God.  Mr.  Gobat, 
the  missionary,  persuaded  some  of  their  own  priests  to  distribute 


HOW    TRANSLATIONS   ARE    OBTAINED.  191 


it.  He  says,  "'If  I  had  had  some  thousands  of  New  Testaments, 
I  could  have  given  them  all  away  to  eager  readers.  I  know  some 
instances  where  persons  have  given  all  their  property  to  purchase 
a  New  Testament.  One  man  gave  two  oxen  for  a  copy  of  the  four 
Gospels,  and  another  gave  four  oxen  for  the  same/^ 

Mr.  Jowett  also,  tells  us,  with  regard  to  the  Turkish-Greek  and 
Arabic  versions,  that  remarkable  and  providential  circumstances 
have  prepared  and  placed  these  also  in  the  hands  of  the  Bible 
Society, — circumstances  which  the  society  could  not  have  ordered 
for  itself, — showing  that  the  finger  of  God  had  prepared,  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  world,  the  persons  competent  to  translate  the 
Scripture,  (which  is  indeed  no  easy  task,)  and  all  m  readiness  for 
these  times  of  its  universal  circulation. 

Do  you  wish  to  know  the  way  in  w:hich  the  Bible  Society  bas 
generally  obtained  its  later  translations  ?  It  is  in  this  manner  : 
the  missionaries  who  are  sent  to  preach  the  gospel  in  heathen 
countries,  make  it  their  first  care  to  learn  the  language  of  those 
countries,  and  to  translate  the  Scriptures  into  it,  if  they  do  not 
already  exist, — for  the  missionary  is  nothing  without  the  Bible. 
The  missionaries  translate,  and  through  the  societies  with  which 
they  are  connected,  they  present  the  manuscript  translation  to  the 
Bible  Society,  with  a  request  that  the  same  may  be  printed.  If 
the  translation  be  approved  of,  this  is  readily  done,  or  else  a  grant 
of  money  is  made  to  get  the  translation  printed,  at  the  missionary 
station,  under  the  eye  of  the  translator  himself.  The  Bible  Society 
not  only  bears  the  expense  of  printing,  but  in  many  cases  the  ex- 
pense of  making  the  translations  by  different  missionaries. 

It  does  not  trust  the  excellence  of  the  version,  however,  to  the 
judgment  of  the  missionaries  only,  but  has  its  own  editorial  com- 
mittee and  translating  superintendent,  who  minutely  inquire  into, 
and  report  upon,  every  version. 

AVhen  a  second  edition  of  any  Bible  is  called  for,  the  first  edition 
is  thoroughly  revised,  and  re-revised,  and  so  each  version  improves 
by  degrees. 

Such  men  as  the  late  T.  P.  Piatt,  Esq.,  Mr.  W.  Greenfield,  and 
the  Bev.  Joseph  Jowett,  who  were  very  learned  in  languages, 


192  THE   BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


assisted  ilie  Bible  Society  in  this  particular  portion  of  its  work. 
Many  other  gentlemen  not  officially  connected  with  it  have  alsc 
rendered  essential  service  in  this  department. 

The  greatest  literary  talent  will  find  its  highest  occupation  in 
the  service  of  the  Bible  Society.  Buchanan  says,  ^^  He  who  pro- 
duces a  new  version  of  the  Scriptures  is  a  greater  man  than  he 
who  founds  a  kingdom."  A  missionary  tutor  at  Basle  used  to 
give  this  excellent  advice  to  his  pupils  :  "  Whatever  you  are  study- 
ing, even  if  it  be  the  driest  grammar,  think  that  you  are  doing  it 
for  Christ,  and  you  will  find  it  easy  and  pleasant.'' 

Professor  Gaussen  has  given  us  a  thought  concerning  these 
translations,  which  we  will  give  you  as  briefly  as  possible,  ere  we 
bid  farewell  to  the  library  : — 

'^  If  some  friend,  returning  from  the  East  Indies,  bring  you  a 
letter  from  your  father,  written  in  Bengalee,  and  you  do  not  under- 
stand it,  you  will  get  it  translated ;  you  will  not  be  indifferent  to 
it,  because  it  is  in  Bengalee.  You  might  have  translations  of  it 
made  into  several  other  languages  that  you  do  understand, — into 
English,  French,  Latin,  German,  Spanish,  Dutch,  till  you  had  no 
more  doubt  of  the  original  meaning  of  the  letter,  than  if  you  had 
been  a  Hindoo,  and  could  have  read  it  in  the  original.  Every 
separate  translation  casts  light  on  what  the  original  must  have 
been." 

In  this  place  you  have  stood  in  the  midst  of  all  these  lights 
upon  the  letter, — the  letter  from  "  our  Father  who  is  in  heaven." 
It  is  now  written  in  150  languages,  and  in  177  versions, — the 
lights  of  the  dark  world.  The  letter  can  never  now  be  hid,  lost> 
or  destroyed ! 


We  may  now  pass  on  to — 

THE    COMMITTEE    EOOMS  ; 

and,  first,  let  us  begin  with  that  of  the  General  committee. 

There  is  a  long  table  in  the  middle  of  this  room,  covered  with 
purple  cloth, — the  president's  chair  being  somewhat  raised  at  one 


BIBLES   AT   THE    CRYSTAL   PALACE.  193 


end  of  it;  and  down  the  sides  are  fixed  benches,  retiring  row 
behind  row,  on  a  raised  stage,  till  the  room  is  filled  up. 

In  this  room,  a  committee  of  thirty-six  gentlemen  meet  together, 
on  every  alternate  Monday,  in  every  month,  and  oftener,  if  neces- 
sary, to  transact  the  general  business  of  the  society.  Six  of  thenj 
must  be  foreigners,  living  in  or  near  London,  for  it  is  a  British 
and  Foreign  Bible  Society.  Fifteen  must  be  members  of  the 
Church  of  England,  and  fifteen  belong  to  other  denominations  of 
Christians.  Such  is  the  constitution  of  the  society — a  noble  illus- 
tration of  the  maxim,  ^^  Union  is  strength.'^  These  gentlemen 
are  all  laymen ;  but  every  minister  who  becomes  a  member  of  the 
society,  by  subscription,  may  attend  and  vote  at  all  meetings  of 
the  committee. 

At  the  upper  end  of  this  room  is  the  case  of  Bibles  which  was 
exhibited  in  the  Crystal  Palace,  in  Hyde  Park,  in  1851.  All 
these  Bibles  of  the  society,  in  the  difierent  versions,  are  open, 
with  a  small  ticket  appended  to  each,  defining  its  language  to 
unlearned  eyes,  and  stating  the  number  of  Bibles  which  the  so- 
ciety has  printed  in  that  particular  language. 

The  attendant  at  the  stall  in  the  ^^  Palace"  says,  that  he  found 
the  existence  of  the  Bible  Society  was  comparatively  little  known 
by  those  world-wide  visitors.  Many,  when  it  was  explained  to 
them,  said,  ''  This  is  a  noble  work,  indeed !"  and  some  among 
the  poorest,  possessing  little  of  this  world's  goods,  exulted  as 
they  passed  it,  saying,  "  This  is  the  glory  of  the  whole  exhibi- 
tion !  and  how  it  is  hidden  in  a  corner,  when  it  ought  to  have 
had  a  place  like  the  Koh-i-noor  !" 

We  can  quite  understand  how  the  friends  of  deceased  transla- 
tors were  anxious  to  see  the  work  of  those  they  loved,  and  who  had 
rendered  such  great  service  to  society.  One  said,  "  My  hus- 
band, now  in  glory,  translated  this.''  Russian,  Dutch,  German, 
Norwegian,  Italian,  Welsh,  and  even  Chinese  visitors,  looked  on 
the  Bibles  with  gladness,  while  two  French  ladies  asked  for  papers 
to  take  home  with  them,  saying,  "  We  are  looking  to  England : 
France,  Switzerland,  all  the   nations  are   looking  to  England  ' 

17 


194  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


the  pope  has  put  his  foot  into  England,  but  we  look  to  you  and 
your  Bible/^ 

We  may  he  allowed  to  suppose  that  this  committee-room  in 
the  Bible  House  is  a  glorious  room  in  the  eyes  of  angels.  If 
they  could  envy  any  among  mankind,  it  would  be  those  who  sit 
at  this  table,  and  dispense  the  bread  of  life,  sent  down  from 
heaven ! 

Memory  can  people  this  room  with  the  forms  of  the  good  men 
who  have  sat  here  in  days  gone  by,  but  whose  tongues  are  now 
silent  in  the  grave — who  always  thought  of  the  days  when  they 
met  here  as  their  best  days,  as  the  happiest  days  of  the  week. 

There  are  a  few  things  in  this  committee-room  to  which  we 
must  call  attention.  Over  the  fireplace,  and  beneath  the  clock, 
you  may  observe  Mr.  Wyld's  Bible  Society  map,  showing  the 
moral  state  of  the  world  by  the  aid  of  colours,  and  pointing  out 
where  Bibles  have  been  circulated,  how  many  copies,  in  what  lan- 
guage, and  other  valuable  statistics.  There  is  the  portrait  of 
William  Tyndal,  whose  grave,  mild  countenance  seems  to  look 
down  with  complacency  on  those  who  are  carrying  out  the  work 
which  he  began  :  there  also  are  the  portraits  of  the  former  presi- 
dents. Lord  Teignmouth  and  Lord  Bexley,  the  old  and  tried 
friends  of  the  society,  both  gone  also  to  their  reward.  A  portrait 
of  Wiclif  ought  certainly  to  be  found  there  also. 

We  noticed  on  the  table  a  large  book,  loosely  bound,  like  a 
series  of  papers  slightly  tacked  together,  and,  on  opening  it, 
found  that  the  characters,  instead  of  being  as  usual  printed  in 
black  on  a  white  ground,  were  uncoloured,  but  large,  and  raised 
in  relief  upon  the  paper,  like  the  impression  of  a  seal.  On  the 
under  side  of  the  paper,  the  letters  seemed  pressed  in,  as  on  a 
seal.  Those  who  .have  ever  seen  these  raised  characters,  will 
know  at  once  that  this  was  a  book  printed  for  the  blind.  It  was 
the  Gospel  of  John,  in  English,  and  in  a  new  and  very  simple 
character. 

This  new  and  simple  character  is  the  invention  of  Mr.  Moon, 
the  master  of  the  blind-school  at  Brighton,  himself  a  blind  manj 


BIBLE    FOR    THE   BLIND.  195 


and  his  system  is  said  to  be  so  great  an  impi  ovement  upon  those 
previously  invented;  that  blind  persons,  who  have  been  for  years 
endeavouring  in  vain  to  learn  to  read  on  other  systems,  have  in 
ten  days  accomplished  their  desire  by  the  help  of  this. 

A  blind  girl  in  France,  who  gained  her  livelihood  by  manual 
labour,  had  obtained  a  copy  of  Mark's  Gospel,  and  also  an  alpha- 
bet for  the  blind.  Being  quick  and  intelligent,  she  was  able  in 
the  course  of  a  few  days  to  decipher  a  whole  page  j  but  being 
herself  desirous  of  making  even  faster  progress,  she  took  a  pen- 
knife, and  pared  the  skin  from  the  tips  of  her  fingers,  thinking 
to  render  their  touch  more  sensitive.  Alas  !  this  only  rendered 
them  in  a  few  days  more  callous,  and  she  found  she  could  no 
longer  read  at  all.  In  a  moment  of  despair,  she  took  up  her 
treasured  volume,  and  pressed  it  to  her  lips,  to  bid  it  a  last  fare- 
well;  when,  lo !  to  her  great  joy,  she  discovered  that  she  could 
thereby  discern  the  letters,  and  from  that  time  forth  she  has  been 
reading  with  her  lips.  She  has  not  only  read  the  whole  of  Mark's 
Gospel,  but  has  actually  committed  it  to  memory 

Let  us  now  pass  on  to — 

THE    SMALLER    COMMITTEE   ROOM. 

The  General  committee  of  the  Bible  Society  divides  itself  into 
several  sections,  which  are  called  by  different  names. 

The  Editorial  committee  is  composed  of  those  who  are  able  to 
judge  of  the  translations.  The  Depository  committee  is  that 
which  superintends  the  printing  and  binding  of  the  Bibles.  The 
Agency  committee  is  that  which  directs  the  operations  of  the 
agents  of  the  Society.  There  are  also  Finance  and  other  sub- 
3ommittees,  conducted  by  men  of  business. 

Each  member  of  the  General  committee  is  placed  on  that  sub- 
committee for  which  his  talents  best  fit  him.  It  is  Bible-work 
in  which  they  all  find  themselves  engaged,  and  it  is  conducted  in 
a  Bible-spirit. 

Around  this  sub-committee  room  are  hung  more  portraits  of 
the  society's  faithful  servants  and  friends,  to  some  of  whom  it 


196  THE   BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


has  been  said,  ^^  Enter  ye  into  the  joy  of  your  Lord.'^  Here  are 
tbose  of  the  first  three  secretaries,  the  Rev.  John  Owen,  the 
Rev.  Joseph  Hughes,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Steinkopff.  Here  are 
also  those  of  its  warm  friends, — of  Wilberforce,  Granville  Sharp, 
Admiral  Gambier,  the  Bishop  of  Winchester,  Charles  of  Bala, 
Broadley  Wilson,  Dr.  Adam  Clarke  with  his  Buddhist  priests, 
and  of  Oberlin,  the  pastor  of  the  Ban  de  la  Roche,  of  Mr.  W. 
Greenfield,  of  Alexander  the  late  Emperor  of  Russia,  and  one  of 
a  Belgian  colporteur, — a  portrait  esteemed  worthy  of  a  place, 
even  here. 

But  we  must  now  leave  what  is  called  the  '^  Bible  Society's 
House,^^  and  enter — 

THE    BIBLE   WAREHOUSE. 

Here  the  ever-varying  stock  of  Bibles,  in  various  languages,  is 
kept,  and  from  hence  they  are  sent,  east  and  west,  north  and 
south,  by  land  and  by  water,  as  they  may  be  ordered  by  Auxilia- 
ries, or  as  the  benevolence  of  the  committee  may  direct  their 
distribution  in  this  and  other  countries.  One  compartment  con- 
sists of  English  Family  Bibles :  they  are  most  beautiful  volumes, 
and  their  price  is  one  sovereign  English  money,  each. 

From  the  largest,  let  us  turn  to  the  smallest.  This  Diamond 
Bible,  with  marginal  references,  bound  in  roan,  and  with  gilt 
edges,  is  sold  at  the  low  price  of  Is.  Sd. :  the  same  book,  hand- 
somely bound  in  morocco,  sells  for  Is.  lid.  These  are  the  Bibles 
that  weigh  eight  and  nine  ounces,  and  this  is  their  cost  price; 
/or  it  is  not,  the  ohject  of  the  society  to  miake  any  profit  hy  the 
sale,  but  to  extend  the  circulation  as  widely  as  possible. 

Ascending  the  stairs,  we  shall  find  ourselves  still  in  a  true 
jilace  of  business.  As  from  the  lower  floor,  so  also  from  this. 
Bibles  go  out  to  all  the  world.  See  the  wagon  standing  below  to 
receive  its  precious  load,  to  be  taken  to  the  docks,  or  perhaps  to 
the  railway  stations,  thence  to  give  joy  and  spread  light  in  Eng- 
land, or  in  some  far-distant  land.  One  feels  something  akin  to 
reverence  for  that  great  iron  crane.  No  other  '^  crane"  in  all 
London  lifts  such  true  riches  I 


THE    BIBLE    WAREHOUSE.  197 


Close  to  the  trap-door  in  this  floor  lies  a  pile  of  Italian  Bibles. 
One  of  the  warehousemen  said  to  us,  ''Those  don't  move  now. 
Since  the  pope  has  come  back  to  Rome,  he  will  not  let  Bibles 
.nto  Italy.  That  lot,  too,  are  Spanish,  and  this,  Malagassy:  they 
are  both  very  dead.  English  Bibles  are  lively,  and  move  away 
as  fast  as  they  are  ready. ^'  ''We  sent  out  9000  of  these  Dia- 
monds last  month,''  added  our  guide. 

Precious  "Pearls,'^  "Rubies,"  and  "Diamonds,"  (  for  these 
are  rcaVy  the  names  of  the  different  types  in  which  the  Bibles 
are  printed,)  may  the  demand  for  them  continually  increase! 
Blessed  be  God !  Malagassy  Bibles  are  dead  no  longer !  After 
seventeen  years  of  bitter  persecution,  on  the  part  of  the  queen 
of  that  country,  instigated  by  her  prime  minister,  the  God  who 
rules  over  all  has  removed  the  blind  and  wicked  man;  and  now 
we  may  hope  that  her  son,  lier  men  son,  whose  heart  the  Lord 
has  turned  to  himself,  will,  with  his  prime  minister, — the  son  of 
the  very  minister  who  persecuted  and  sent  the  missionaries  oui 
of  the  island, — recall  them,  and  all  the  Christians,  and  open  the 
ports  to  commerce. 

And  so  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  has  been  the  seed  of  the 
chvirch,  as  it  always  was.  The  suffering  Christians  have  wan- 
dered about  in  forests,  and  dwelt  in  caves,  have  been  obliged  to 
bury  their  Bibles,  have  been  poisoned,  beaten,  and  slain,  but,  in 
spite  of  all,  have  multiplied;  and  it  is  said,  there  are  5000  now, 
in  Madagascar,  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus,  out  of  a  population  of 
4,000,000,  and  500  native  teachers  ready  to  go  back  to  them 
from  the  Mauritius. 

Speed,  then,  over  the  deep,  Malagassy  Bibles,  in  the  hands  of 
devoted  missionaries  !  May  one  of  your  number  win  its  way  to 
the  eye  and  the  heart  of  the  queen  herself,  leading  her  to  weep 
like  Saul  of  Tarsus  over  her  work  of  persecution,  and  to  apply 
for  pardon  to  Him  who  alone  has  power  to  forgive  sin : 


These  are  the  Chinese  Testaments.     The  words  are  not  arranged 
across  the  page,  but  in  columns  from  top  to  bottom.      The  paper 


198  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


is  very  thin,  and  printed  only  on  one  side,  and  the  plain  sides  of 
two  pages  are  folded  together,  like  one  of  our  uncnt  books.  The 
paper  for  these  is  made,  and  the  books  are  printed,  in  China. 
The  cover  also  is  Chinese,  made  of  yellow  paper,  like  silk,  shot 
with  gold  dust.  They  are  printed  from  wooden  blocks,  on  which 
the  characters  are  cut,  after  the  manner  of  our  woodcuts.  Here, 
again,  is  a  Chinese  book,  printed  in  England,  on  English 
paper,  on  both  sides  of  the  sheet,  and  bound  after  the  English 
fashion.  From  this  circumstance  it  may  become,  perhaps,  an 
attractive  book  to  the  Chinese  themselves. 

More  piles  of  books  of  all  sizes,  and  another  floor  of  them  ! 
Swedish  Bibles,  Portuguese,  French,  Russian,  Amharic,  Tahitian, 
Malay,  etc.  ''This  stack  of  English,'^  said  our  companion, 
''came  from  Oxford  this  morning.  The  boxes  which  strew  the 
warehouse  contain  20,000  Bibles  and  Testaments  for  Toronto. 
Yesterday  we  could  scarcely  get  ready  as  many  more  for  Ireland, 
chiefly  for  the  use  of  the  schools  of  the  Hibernian  Society.^' 

There  is  a  little  room  on  the  second  floor,  which  belonged  to 
IMr.  Cockle,  known  for  thirty  years  at  this  Bible  House,  as  its 
faithful  and  unwearied  depositary :  when,  during  his  latter  years, 
he  was  most  busily  engaged,  he  sought  refuge  from  intrusion  in 
this  place.  We  have  often  found  him  here,  in  past  time,  but* 
now  we  find  him  not.  He,  too,  is  "gone  up  on  high,^'  having 
devoted  the  greater  part  of  his  life  to  the  service  of  the  Bible 
Society.  His  little,  empty,  desolate  room  was  the  only  sad  cor- 
ner of  this  rich  storehouse. 

When  the  attendants  were  all  gone,  we  stood  alone  for  a  while, 
among  the  great  piles  of  Bibles, — alone  with  all  those  written 
voices  of  God, — the  voice  that  answered  Job  out  of  the  whirlwind, 
that  thundered  in  the  deserts  of  Sinai,  that  spoke  by  the  prophets, 
and  in  the  sweet  harp  of  David; — the  voice  that  clothed  its 
majesty  in  tenderness  from  the  lips  of  the  Redeemer  of  the  world, 
and  through  evangelists  and  apostles  is  come  down  even  to  us — to 
our  homes,  to  our  hearts,  and  daily  lives ! 

Without  ascending  another  floor,  still  more  heavily  laden  with 
wibound  Bibles,  in  various  languages,  you  have  noticed  enough 


EIBLE   PRINTING.  199 


for  the  present  at  tlie  Bible  Society's  House  and  warehouse,  and 
you  are  invited  to  accompany  us  to  those  interesting  places  where 
the  Holy  Scriptures  are  "printed/'  and  "bound." 


CHAPTER  n. 


Bible-Printing   at   Shacklewell — Ancient   Printing-Office — The  Compositor— 

The  Reader. 

THE    PRINTING   AND    BINDING   OF   THE   BIBLE. 

Those  who  live  near  Oxford  and  Cambridge,  where  a  great 
part  of  the  Bibles  circulated  by  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society  are  printed,  may  visit  the  Bible  presses  in  those  cele- 
brated universities :  there  are  others  who  may  find  it  more  con- 
venient to  visit  a  third  great  Bible-printing  establishment,  that 
of  the  Queen's  Printers'  at  Sbacklewell,  in  the  suburbs  of  Lon- 
don. At  this  place  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  Society's 
Bibles,  both  in  English  and  Welsh,  are  printed. 

Most  young  persons  in  the  present  day  have  seen  a  printing- 
office  :  but  we  will  suppose  that  we  are  describing  one  to  children 
in  the  age  of  Wiclif,  when  there  was  not  one  to  be  seen. 

In  the  early  ages  of  Printing,  in  the  latter  end  of  the  sixteenth 
century,  it  was  reckoned  so  far  one  of  the  liberal  arts,  that  it  was 
practised  only  by  men  of  birth  and  education.  The  compositors, 
or  persons  who  set  up  the  types,  had  an  ancient  privilege,  which 
proves  this, — they  were  allowed  to  wear  swords.  In  old  pictures 
of  a  printing-office,  you  may  see'  the  master-printer,  a  grave  and 
bearded  personage,  dressed  in  a  fur-trimmed  robe,  apparently 
giving  directions  to  the  workmen.  These  consist  of  several  com- 
positors, comfortably  seated  on  cushioned  stools,  their  dirks  and 
swords  resting  against  a  column  by  their  side.  Near  them  is  an 
old  man  in  spectacles,  probably  the  reader;  others  are  working  at 
rude  presses. 


200  THE    BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


We  have  been  astonished  in  remarking  the  beauty  and  perfec- 
tion of  the  type  of  some  of  those  early  Bibles,  printed  with  so 
few  aids  from  that  principle  of  division  of  labour  which  is  now 
so  thoroughly  understood ;  but  then  the  impressions  were  not 
required  in  the  numbers  they  are  at  present.  It  would  be 
possible  to  print  4500  Bibles  a  day  at  this  one  establishment  of 
Messrs.  Eyre  and  Spottiswoode.  Let  us  see  what  the  compositors 
do  toward  it. 

They  each  work  at  a  desk,  or  frame,  and  they  work  silently,  in 
"a  room  by  themselves.  It  is  not  now  thought  necessary  that  they 
should  be  gentlemen  by  condition,  or  even  ambitious  men ; — they 
must  be  those  who  are  content  to  begin  the  work  at  its  beginning, 
and  to  do  it  steadily  and  patiently. 

Their  desk  or  frame  contains  two  pairs  of  cases,  one  furnished 
with  Roman  letters,  and  the  other  with  Italic.  These  cases  are 
divided  into  154  partitions,  some  larger  than  the  rest,  for  the 
letters  that  are  sure  to  be  most  wanted.  The  letters  1,  m,  n,  a,  e, 
i,  0,  u,  are  far  more  frequently  needed  than  j,  k,  q,  x,  z. 

These  partitions  are  not  labelled.  A  stranger  to  the  art  is 
surprised  at  the  accuracy  with  which  a  compositor  dips  his  fingers 
into  the  division  containing  the  letter  he  requires ;  but  it  is  a 
fact,  that  the  youngest  boy  in  a  printing-office  very  soon  learns 
the  places  of  the  letters,  without  any  difficulty.  Those  letters 
which  he  will  want  most  are  placed  in  the  divisions  nearest  to 
his  hand ;  and,  standing  before  the  pair  of  cases  which  contain 
the  Roman  letters,  he  holds  in  his  left  hand  what  is  called  a  com- 
posing sfick. 

This  is  a  little  iron  or  brass  frame,  one  side  of  which  is  mova- 
ble, so  that  it  may  be  adjusted  to  the  required  width  of  the  page 
or  column  which  the  workman  has  to  set  up.^  It  is  made  per- 
fectly true  and  square,  and  will  hold  about  twelve  lines  of  such 
type  as  the  present.  The  copy  of  the  Scriptures,  which  the  com- 
positor we  saw  at  work  was  imitating,  lay  on  the  least  used  part 
of  the  upper  case. 

He  seemed  to  take  info  his  mind  a  line  at  a  time,  which  it  is 
easier  to  do  from  a  printed  book  than  if  he  had  been  reading 


THE    COMPOSITOR.  201 


very  carelessly-VTitten  manuscript,  though,  even  this  can  be  cl#ne 
by  a  practised  eye.  One  by  one,  he  places  the  letters  for  each 
word  into  his  stick,  his  right  hand  going  to  the  box,  and  his  left 
securing  each  letter.  He  showed  us  that  in  every  letter  there 
was  a  nick,  which  he  always  placed  downward  the  moment  he 
touched  it,  without  looking  at  it.  ThLs  nick  is  one  of  those  pretty 
contrivances  for  saving  labour,  which  experience  has  introduced 
into  every  art. 

His  mind  was  now  fully  engaged  with  his  work  :  he  had  to 
attend  to  the  right  spelling  of  the  words,  the  right  placing  of  the 
capital  letters,  the  right  positions  for  the  stops,  the  placing  of  the 
words  at  right  distances  in  his  stick,  without  crowding,  or  giving 
them  too  much  space ;  for,  as  the  lettoi-s  are  not  all  of  the  same 
thickness,  the  spaces  necessarily  vary,  though,  on  the  whole,  they 
are  regular,  and  regularity  in  spacing  distinguishes  a  good  com 
positor. 

When  he  had  filled  his  stick,  he  cleverly  grasped  all  the  type, 
and  took  it  out,  as  if  it  had  been  one  solid  piece  of  metal.  A 
practised  compositor  can  do  this,  but  a  young  apprentice  has  his 
patience  tasked  to  the  utmost,  if,  after  toiling  for  an  hour  or  two 
in  picking  up  several  hundred  letters,  he  drops  the  wliole  while 
moving  them,  as  he  has  then  to  mourn  over  the  broken  heap, 
which  printers  call  pie,  in  the  same  way  as  children  sometimes 
mourn  over  their  fallen  towers  of  bricks. 

The  words  are  now  lifted  out  into  what  is  called  a  galley,  and 
the  galley  is  filled  by  the  contents  of  successive  sticks.  When 
as  many  lines  are  set  up  as  will  fill  a  page,  they  are  bound  tightly 
round  with  cord,  and  placed  under  the  frame,  and  when  as  many 
pages  are  set  up  as  will  fill  a  sheet,  they  are  arranged  in  proper 
order  upon  the  impodng -stone.  Each  page  is  surrounded  with  a 
piece  of  wood,  called /M'/-??i7w?T,  which  provides  an  equal  margin 
for  every  page,  and  the  whole  is  wedged  tightly  together  in  a 
stout  iron  frame.  It  is  new  termed  a  form,  and  being  perf partly 
tight  and  compa.'»t,  it  can  be  carried  about  with  as  much  ease  as 
if  it  were  composed  of  solid  plates  of  metal,  instead  of  being 
made  up  of  forty  or  fifty  thousand  movable  pieces.     From  thi^ 


202  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


form  a  'proof  is  taken  for  the  reader :  the  first  sheet  printed  is 
called  2,  proof . 

The  first  portion  of  the  compositor's  work  is  now  completed ; 
and  if  it  has  been  well  and  carefully  done,  the  reader  will  have 
very  little  trouble  wi  U  it.  It  may  present,  and  often  does,  a 
specimen  of  what  industry  and  care  can  eficct  at  once  :  there  will 
not  be  a  wrong  letter  in  twenty  lines, — a  gross  mistake,  seldom. 
The  printer's  reader  looks  over  the  proof  while  another  person 
reads  the  copy  aloud :  he  marks  in  the  margin  all  the  errors,  and 
then  returns  the  proof  to  the  compositor,  when  he  commences  a 
second  portion  of  labour  and  difficulty.  If  he  has  omitted  a 
whole  sentence,  it  will  perhaps  compel  him  to  alter  many  pages, 
in  order  to  insert  it. 

In  this  new  process,  new  blunders  are  often  committed,  and, 
when  again  revised  by  the  reader,  it  is  once  more  given  back  to 
the  compositor,  who  has  need  of  much  patience  and  perseverance; 
indeed,  he  is  a  very  principal  person  in  the  production  of  a  Bible 
or  any  other  book ;  it  will  require  a  little  patience,  on  your  part, 
even  to  read  the  account  of  his  labours. 

The  proof  being  now  tolerably  perfect,  the  labour  of  a  second 
reader  is  called  in.  It  is  his  business  to  read  "  for  press,''  that  is, 
to  search  for  the  minutest  errors,  with  the  most  industrious  criticism. 

The  form  of  type  being  at  last  corrected  for  press,  the  work  of 
the  compositor  is  at  an  end ;  and  when  the  desired  number  of  copies 
have  been  printed  ofi",  it  is  a  part  of  his  business  to  return  the 
type  to  the  cases,  in  order  to  furnish  material  for  another  sheet, 
and  this  operation  is  called  distrihuting  the  type. 

This  is  a  beautiful  process  in  the  hands  of  an  expert  compositor, 
who  shows  the  dexterity  acquired  by  long  practice.  He  will  dis- 
tribute four  times  as  fast  as  he  composes,  and,  if  necessary,  return 
to  their  places  50,000  letters  a  day.  To  "  know  his  p's  from  his 
q's"  is  considered  a  great  difficulty  for  a  beginner. 

We  expected  to  find,  that,  as  the  Bible  is  a  book  in  very  large 
and  constant  demand,  we  should  hear  that  it  was  generally  printed 
from  what  are  called  stereotype-plates.  These  are  made  by  taking 
a  mould  in  plaster  ffDm  each  page  of  movable  type,  and  then 


STEREOTYPING.  203 


easting  metal  into  the  mould.  This  is  altogether  rather  a  delicate 
and  difficult  operation  :  the  types  must  first  be  thoroughly  cleaned, 
and  then  rubbed  over  with  an  oily  composition,  to  prevent  the 
adhesion  of  the  plaster.  If  the  least  morsel  does  adhere,  and  it 
often  does,  the  mould  is  spoiled.  If,  when  removed,  it  is  found 
perfect,  the  mould  is  baked,  and  this  also  is  critical,  for,  if  the 
oven  be  too  hot,  the  moulds  warp  :  then  there  is  the  casting,  and 
the  very  best  casting  of  metal  into  the  mould  cannot  prevent 
occasional  defects  on  the  surface  of  the  plate,  which  requires  after- 
ward minute  examination  by  a  workman  called  a  picker.  He 
removes  the  small  globules  of  metal  which  occasionally  fill  up  such 
letters  as  the  a  and  the  e,  inserts  here  and  there  a  new  letter,  by 
soldering,  and  removes  with  his  graver  any  impurities  which  fill  up 
the  lines  :  this  workman  must  possess  a  keen  eye  and  steady  hand. 

You  may  judge,  from  this  description,  that  stereotyping,  or 
making  a  sheet  of  metal  types  all  in  one  piece,  is  a  process  which 
requires  much  skill  and  experience.  Still,  as  the  Bible  is  con- 
stantly in  request,  we  thought  we  should  find  it  was  mostly  printed 
from  stereotype-plates  :  but  it  is  not.  It  is  considered  that  stereo- 
typing is  the  more  expensive  mode  of  printing  of  the  two ;  because, 
with  all  the  improvements  that  have  now  taken  place,  in  harden- 
ing the  metal  of  which  the  plate  is  composed,  a  set  of  stereotype- 
plates  will  only  print  150,000  copies  of  the  Bible  before  they  re- 
quire to  be  renewed.  On  the  other  hand,  from  movable  type,  or 
type  set  up  letter  by  letter  in  its  form,  it  is  possible,  without  re- 
newal, to  print  a  million  copies.  Here,  however,  there  is  revision 
made  of  the  types,  after  every  edition  of  about  5000  copies. 

Perhaps  you  would  not  imagine  the  value  of  the  type  required 
for  a  Bible :  it  astonished  us.     The  value  of  the  type  for  a  Diamond 

I-    A.I..31.       I    24  Verily.rerily.Isay  unto  you,  pHe  that  Blblc,    of  Whlch    thls     Is     a     SpCCi- 

I        heareth  my  word,  and  believeth  on  him  that 

fich.  3.  16, 18.   sent  me,  hath  everlaatinc  lite,  and  shall  not  m  PTl     IS!  CAVAval  tlnrMlCQnr]    •nr»nr>r?C!« 

ft  6,  40,47.         come   into    condemnation;   jbut   is  passed  ^^cU,  Ih  beVePdl  IDOUbdUU  pOUnUb  , 

lt3.51.,eto.      I  from  death  unto  life.  ii            r»                               r> 

tnereiore  type,  or  course,  is  care- 
fully preserved. 
We  inquired  whether  Messrs.  Eyre  and  Spottiswoode  now  printed 
any  Bibles  with  the  Apocrypha ;   because  these  gentlemen  print 
for  other  parties  besides  the  Bible  Soe^'ety.     The  replv  was,  that 


204  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


the  copies  printed  with  the  Apocrypha  decreased  in  number  from 
year  to  year,  and  that  not  a  thousand  copies  were  printed  in  the 
space  of  two  years. 

You  would  now  wish  to  pass  into  the  printing-room.  Here  we 
did  not  find  a  cylinder-press,  as  for  the  printing  of  The  Times 
newspaper,  but  twelve  steam-presses,  of  considerable  cost^  and  each 
one  attended  by  a  man  and  four  boys. 

These  presses  are  set  in  motion  separately,  but  all  by  one  steam- 
engine  in  an  adjoining  room  :  the  ages  of  the  boys  emploj^ed  to 
attend  them  are  from  fourteen  to  sixteen,  and  they  are  said  to  be- 
come, from  habit,  almost  a  part  of  the  machinery.  This  is  an 
interesting  fact  to  the  young,  is  it  not  ? — that  the  actual  printing 
of  the  word  of  God  (after  the  careful  labours  of  the  compositors 
and  correctors  of  the  press)  is  accomplished  hi/  young  persons! 
This  used  not  to  be  the  case,  when  hand-presses  only  were  used, 
which,  in  this  establishment,  are  still  worked  in  another  depart- 
ment. 

About  150  persons  are  now  employed  upon  the  printing  of  the 
Bible,  at  Shacklewell,  instead  of  fifty,  which  used  to  be  the  number 
formerly, — showing  the  increased  demand  for  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

But  now  let  us  begin  to  print. 

On  the  solid  iron  table  at  each  end  of  the  machine,  lie  the  forms 
of  type  from  which  both  sides  of  the  sheet  are  printed.  At  each 
end  of  the  machine  is  a  pile  of  wet  paper :  this  paper  is  wetted, 
quire  by  quire,  before  it  comes  to  the  machine-room.  It  is  dipped 
two  or  three  times,  according  to  its  thickness,  in  a  trough  of  water, 
and  then  opened,  and  powerfully  pressed,  to  diffuse  the  moisture; 
for,  if  not  thus  moistened,  the  printers'  ink  would  lie  upon  the 
surface  of  the  paper,  and  smear. 

By  this  pile  of  paper,  at  each  side  of  the  press,  stand  two  boys; 
they  are  called  laying-on  hoys  ;  they  feed  the  press  with  the  paper, 
sheet  by  sheet,  and  two  other  boys,  standing  below  them,  take 
dway  each  sheet  as  it  is  printed  :  some  ten  or  twenty  spoiled  sheets 
are  first  passed  over  the  types  to  remove  any  dirt  or  moisture. 
,  At  the  first  movement  of  the  great  wheel,  the  inking-apparatus 
lit  each  end  has  been  set  in  motion,  and  the  steel  cylinder  attachea 


MACHINE-PRINTING.  2C5 


to  tlie  reservoir  of  ink  has  begun  to  move.  Printeis'  ink  is  net 
fluid  like  writing  ink,  but  is  a  stiff,  soft  paste.  The  inh-rcceivers 
are  long,  soft,  elastic  rollers,  and  are  composed  of  a  mixture  of  glue 
and  treacle ;  they  are  renewed  every  week  :  we  noticed  a  number 
of  fresh  rollers  hanging  up  against  the  wall.  Two  engineers  are 
in  constant  attendance  to  keep  the  engine^  the  machines,  and  all 
other  parts  in  daily  repair. 

The  first  roller  is  called  the  doctor:  it  turns  over  on  the  surface 
of  the  ink-reservoir,  and  takes  up  a  small  quantity,  which  it  com- 
municates to  an  inhing-tahle,  over  the  surface  of  which  three  or 
four  distrihuting  rollers  spread  it  equally. 

This  even  surface  then  communicates  to  tioo  inhing-rollers  that 
which  they  shall  impart  to  the  forms  which  are  to  be  printed: 
the  ink  is  thus  conveyed  from  roller  to  roller,  that  it  may  be  all 
of  an  equal  fineness  or  consistency,  and  to  prevent  blots  and  faint 
places,  technically  called  monks  Q.nd  friars. 

All  these  beautiful  operations  are  accomplished  in  the  sixteenth 
part  of  a  minute,  by  the  travelling  backward  or  forward  of  the 
table  upon  which  the  forms  rest,  while  each  roller  revolves  on  a 
fixed  axis. 

The  moment  the  form  or  mass  of  type  has  passed  under  the 
inking-rollers,  one  of  the  boys  places  the  damp  sheet  upon  a 
frame,  when  it  and  the  form  are  conveyed  together  under  a 
smooth  iron  flat-surface,  which  powerfully  presses  the  damp  sheet 
upon  the  face  of  the  types.  After  being  thus  printed,  it  is  con- 
veyed back  to  its  former  place,  and  the  sheet  is  then  removed  by 
another  boy  to  a  heap  at  the  side.  When  the  ink  becomes  firm 
or  set,  the  other  side  of  the  sheet  is  printed  by  the  same  process. 
It  is  so  contrived  that  each  page  shall  be  printed  exactly  at  the 
hack  of  another  page. 

If  there  be  no  extraordinary  hinderance  or  obstruction,  one  nian 
and  four  boys  can  print  500  sheets  in  an  hour;  indeed,  thei'e  is 
not  much  for  them  to  do,  except  to  attend  upon  and  watch  this 
wonderful,  unconscious  giant,  the  steam-press,  in  his  operations. 

They  feed  him  with  paper,  which  he  takes,  adjusts,  prints,  and 

renders  back,  always  supplying  himself  with  fresh  ink  for  the 

IS 


206  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY, 


printing  of  every  sheet;  and  all  so  quickly,  that  the  boys  can 
Bcarcely  move  fast  enough  to  give  and  receive  the  work  from  his 
hand;  and  when  we  think  what  is  the  work  he  is  doing  at  Shackle* 
well,  how  glorious  is  the  outlay  of  his  strength ! 

If  these  twelve  presses  were  all  at  full  work,  (thirteen  sheets 
being  necessary  to  the  completion  of  a  Bible,)  450  of  these 
written  voices  of  God  might  go  forth  from  this  room  in  one  hour, 
— 4500  might  be  issued  in  a  day.  Oh!  that  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society  might  ever  have  occasion  to  order  so 
many! 

Twenty-seven  thousand  might  be  issued  in  a  week,  nearly  one 
million  and  a  half  in  a  year,  from  this  one  source  of  supply  alone  I 
and  it  must  be  remembered,  that  this  is  hut  one  of  the  establish- 
ments at  work  for  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society.  It  can 
employ  the  giant,  when  needful,  in  all  quarters  of  the  world  at 
once;  for,  by  the  wonderful  inventions  and  improvements  of  this 
nineteenth  century,  the  books  can  be  produced  at  the  cheapest 
possible  rate,  and  circulated  with  the  greatest  possible  speed. 

In  the  process  of  placing  the  pages  of  type  for  the  formation 
of  the  sheet,  a  small  mark  is  inserted  at  graduated  intervals  on 
each  sheet,  so  that  when  the  book  is  folded  and  gathered  together, 
a  diagonal  line  is  formed  by  these  little  printed  marks  across  the 
back,  thus  enabling  the  binder's  collator  to  detect  at  a  glance  a 
missing  or  a  misplaced  sheet. 

After  the  sheets  are  printed,  they  must  be  dried,  which  is  done 
by  hanging  them  in  rooms  and  passages  fitted  with  hot-air  pipes; 
and  they  are  lifted  with  an  instrument  called  2t>  printer^ s  peel. 

They  are  then  pressed  in  a  hydraulic  press,  and  afterward  laid 
down  in  piles  of  about  1000  of  each  signature,  on  boards  forming 
a  square,  in  alphabetical  order,  and  then  gathered,  as  it  is  called, 
by  a  boy,  who  stands  in  the  middle  of  a  square  space,  and  collects 
the  sheets  in  succession,  according  to  the  letter  which  is  printed 
at  the  bottom  of  the  page,  called  a  signature,  for  the  guidance  of 
the  binder. 

Every  sheet  is  then  collated,  to  see  that  the  whole  are  in  prope?? 
alphabetical  order,  that  no  sheet  is  wanting,  or  one  too  many: 


BINDING    OF   THE   BIBLE.  207 


when  colly  ted,  the  sheets  are  foldedj  separated  into  books,  again 
pressed;  and  then  tied  up  to  go  to  the  Bible  Society's  warehouse. 

The  number  of  hands  the  Bible  passes  through  in  the  course 
of  printing  is  as  follows : — 

Compositor,  Cold-presser 

Four  readers,  Gatherer, 

Reviser  for  press,  Collator 

Corrector,  Folder, 

One  pressman  and  four  boys,  Booker, 

Looker-over,  Pressor, 

Hanger-up,  Tier-up, 

—  twenty-one  persons  in  all;  not  to  speak  of — 

Type-founders,  Printers'-joiners, 

Iron-founders,  Printing-ink-makers, 

Wholesale-stationers,  Paper-makers,  and 

Composition-roller-makers,  Engineers, 

who  must  each,  with  the  whole  series  of  workmen  in  their  several 
factories,  have  combined  to  the  production  of  the  Book.  There 
are  about  fourteen  processes,  in  the  making  of  the  printing-paper 
alone; — and  yet  we  have  to  bind  it. 

THE    BINDING    OF   THE   BIBLE. 

It  is  a  sort  of  principle  among  bookbinders,  that  the  subject  of 
a  book  shall  be  known  by  its  cover.  This,  however,  refers  to 
ornament,  and  the  Bible  Society  do  not  provide  ornamented 
Bibles;  their  great  aim  is  extreme  cheapness  combined  with 
good  and  strong  work;  and  they  take  every  means  to  secure  this. 
They  have  all  their  books  bound  by  contract.  We  paid  an  inte- 
resting visit  to  the  premises  of  the  present  contractor,  (Mi.  Wat- 
kins,)  and  found  ourselves  in  a  large,  airy,  and  well-warmed 
room,  furnished  with  long  tables,  at  which  sat  numbers  of  neat, 
healthy,  and  happy-looking  girls,  their  ages  from  twelve  to  eigh- 
teen, not  sitting  crowded  together,  but  each  having  room  for  her 
work — her  pleasant  work. 


208  THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


As  we  looked  at  tliem  and  inspected  their  proceedings  in  de- 
tail, that  we  might  describe  them  to  you,  we  thought  how  much 
rather  we  would  choose  to  work  for  our  living  as  Bible-binders 
than  as  milliners — 

Fashion's  poor,  pale  slaves, 
"Working  to  their  graves. 

— with  so  few  hours'  rest  allowed  in  the  twenty-four. 

At  Mr.  Watkins's  establishment,  the  girls  work  ten  hours  a 
day,  and  they  are  paid  according  to  the  quantity  of  the  work  they 
get  through,  and  this  tends  to  make  them  industrious.  They 
have  many  checks  over  their  performance,  and  the  contractor  is 
under  an  engagement  to  replace,  at  his  own  cost,  any  books  found 
to  be  badly  bound;  therefore,  for  bad  folding  and  stitching  they 
are  fined :  that  they  are,  however,  generally  careful,  is  proved  by 
the  fact,  that  the  fines  do  not  amount  to  five  pounds  a  year  among 
200  workpeople. 

AVhen  you  think  that  the  Bible  is  printed  in  large  sheets, 
sometimes  sixty-four  pages  in  a  sheet,  you  will,  of  course,  per- 
ceive that  these  large  sheets  will  need  folding,  even  if  the  printer 
fold  them  once,  for  the  convenience  of  tying  up. 

They  are  received  at  the  binder's  by  a  warehouseman,  who 
gives  them  out  to  each  folder,  in  as  many  successive  sheets  as 
will  form  the  whole  Bible. 

Each  folder  sits  by  a  table  on  which  she  spreads  out  the  sheets 
In  her  right  hand  she  holds  a  small  ivory  or  bone  folding-knife, 
with  which  she  flattens  the  foldings  of  the  sheet :  this  folding 
seems  to  us  very  quickly  done,  but  it  is  so  only  from  practice, 
for  it  requires  accuracy,  as  the  first  and  last  lines  of  the  print  must 
range  evenly  with  the  opposite  page.  In  taking  up  the  sheet 
she  looks  merely  at  what  is  called  the  signature, — a  letter  stand- 
ing by  itself  at  the  bottom  of  the  page,  which  you  perhaps  have 
never  noticed.  It  is  placed  there  chiefly  as  a  direction  to  the 
binder. 

She  takes  up  first  letter  A,  folds  the  sheet  down  the  middle, 
and  then  across,  and  also  once  more  down  the  middle;  she  then 


FOLDING   AND    SEVVOG.  209 


takes  up  the  next  gheet^  letter  B,  folds  it  in  the  same  manner, 
and  lays  it  upon  letter  A;  and  proceeds  in  the  same  way  with  all 
the  letters  of  the  alphabet,  till  she  begins  it  again ;  only  to  the 
second  A  is  attached  a  small  a,  to  the  second  B,  a  small  b,  and 
so  on  :  you  can  find  these  printer's  marks,  if  you  look  through 
the  Bible. 

After  these  folded  sheets  have  been  taken  from  the  rolling- 
press  for  binding,  the  collator  takes  the  whole  in  his  hand  to  see 
that  they  are  laid  in  proper  order,  that  no  sheet  is  wanting,  and 
that  the  folding  is  correct,  and  this  is  very  expertly  done ;  the 
sheets  are  held  at  one  corner,  and  allowed  to  spring  back,  one 
after  another,  leaving,  to  the  experienced  eye,  just  time  enough 
to  catch  the  signature  letters  :  this  collation  takes  place  in  a 
separate  room,  and  any  error  is  at  once  adjusted. 

And  now  the  book  is  to  be  sewn.  A  girl,  sitting  sideways 
against  the  table  on  which  the  sheets  are  laid,  first  takes  up  that 
marked  A,  and  places  the  back  of  it  against  three  strings  or 
tapes,  (or  if  it  be  a  large  book,  against  four  tapes,)  fastened  in  a 
sewing-press,  then  passing  a  needle,  filled  with  strong  thread, 
through  the  sheet,  from  the  inside,  she  brings  it  out  at  the  back, 
and  carries  it  over  one  of  the  tapes,  pushing  the  needle  through 
the  paper  again  from  the  outside, — thus  causing  the  thread  to 
embrace  the  tape. 

Her  left  arm,  passes  round  tlie  press,  and  returns  the  needle 
from  one  side  to  the  other;  thus  sheet  by  sheet  is  fastened  to  the 
tapes. 

This  process  is  conducted  with  wonderful  quickness :  the 
polished  needle  flies  in  and  out  and  over  the  tapes,  in  far  less 
time  than  it  takes  to  tell  about  it,  for  practice  makes  perfect,  and 
this  is  the  sewer's  whole  employ  from  day  to  day,  and  from  week 
to  week ;  and  her  wages  depend  not  on  the  number  of  hours  she 
sits  at  her  press,  but  on  the  number  of  books  she  sews. 

One  little  girl  we  accidentally  selected,  who  was  a  learner,  and 
only  thirteen  years  of  age,  told  us  she  had  been  in  the  establish- 
ment nearly  three  months  :  she  said  she  had  earned  Is.  3d.  the 
day  before ;  but  we  found  she  was  considered  by  the  forewoman^- 

18* 


210  THE   BOOK  AND  ITS   STORY 


a  naturally  quick  as  well  as  a  steady  child.  The  young  people 
get  accustomed  by  degrees  to  the  close  attention  that  the  work 
requires,  and  that  is  necessary  to  insure  good  wages.  "^ 

After  the  Bibles  are  sewn,  they  are  again  taken  to  the  re-col- 
lating-room to  be  examined.  Every  sheet  is  looked  at,  to  see  if  it 
may  have  been  torn  by  accident,  carelessly,  or  improperly  stitched : 
this  examination  requires,  also,  that  the  mind  be  entirely  fixed  on 
its  occupation,  for  the  least  distraction  may  cause  an  error  to  be 
overlooked. 

Presuming  that  no  such  faults  have  been  discovered,  the  books 
are  carried  into  another  building,  occupied  solely  by  men.  Here 
they  are  first  placed  in  piles,  a  sheet  of  iron  or  zinc  between  each 
book,  in  a  hydraulic-press,  and  pressed  with  immense  force.  In 
this  press  they  are  left  some  time ;  and,  when  taken  from  it,  are 
passed  into  the  cutting-room.  There  a  cutting-press,  with  a  large, 
sharp  knife,  is  employed.  The  books  are  very  carefully  placed 
under  the  knife,  the  size  to  which  they  are  to  be  cut  being  regu- 
lated by  a  scale  at  the  side  of  the  machine,  and  then,  by  means 
of  a  lever,  the  whole  quantity  is  cut  at  one  stroke  of  the  knife. 

The  gilder  next  receives  the  books,  and  screws  them  up  in  a 
powerful  horizontal  press;  the  edges  are  then  scraped,  washed 
with  a  composition  of  red  chalk  and  water;  and  while  this  is 
drying,  the  leaf-gold  is  blown  out  from  the  book  in  which  it  is 
sold  by  the  goldbeater,  on  a  cushion  covered  with  leather,  where 
it  is  placed  smoothly,  by  the  aid  of  a  knife.  On  the  work-bench 
is  a  cup  containing  white  of  egg,  beaten  up  with  water,  a  little 
of  which  is  laid  by  a  camels'-hair  pencil  on  the  still  damp  surface 
of  chalk  and  water.  The  gold  is  then  taken  up,  piece  after  piece, 
and  laid  on  the  book's  edge  :  this  is  done  to  all  the  three  edges 
in  succession,  and  to  many  books  together,  all  squeezed  tightly 
in  the  press,  to  produce  a  solid  and  even  surface. 

After  a  few  minutes,  the  gold  has  become  sufficiently  dry  and 
set  for  polishing,  by  a  process  which  would  seem  adapted  to  rub 
off  every  atom  of  gold,  but  it  does  not  do  so. 

The  workman  holds  in  his  hand  a  long-handled  burnisher,  at 
the  lower  end  of  which  is  fixed  a  very  scrooth,  straight-edged 


GILDING   AND   MARBLING.  211 


pie.3e  of  agate ;  this  he  places  on  the  gilt  surface^  and,  with  his 
left  elbow  resting  on  the  workbench,  and  the  handle  of  the 
burnisher  resting  on  his  right  shoulder,  he  rubs  the  gold  with 
great  force,  not  along  the  edge,  but  across  it :  no  gold  is  rubbed 
off,  but  the  whole  is  highly  polished  by  this  treatment;  and  when 
the  gilding  is  complete,  paper  i^  wrapped  round  the  edges  to  pre- 
vent their  being-  soiled  while  the  book  is  finishing. 

When  the  Bibles  are  required  with  sprinkled  edges,  the  books 
are  tied  up  in  quantities  between  two  boards :  they  are  then 
placed  edges  upward,  and  a  man  holding  a  brush  dipped  in  ochre 
and  water,  or  umber  and  water,  and  sometimes  in  Venetian  red, 
high  in  the  air  over  the  books,  with  one  hand  strikes  the  brush 
with,  a  stick  held  in  the  other,  and  thus  sprinkles  a  fine  shower 
of  the  colouring  matter  over  the  edges;  this  is  often  repeated 
with  another  colour;  and  the  cheap,  buff-coloured  sheep  covers 
of  Testaments  for  schools,  are  sprinkled  in  the  same  way. 

The  marbled  edges  of  books  are  produced  by  sprinkling  pig- 
ments of  several  colours  upon  a  fluid  preparation,  contained  in  a 
large  trough,  where  they  float,  the  colours  being  mixed  with  oil ; 
and  the  edges  of  the  books,  being  alternately  placed  for  a  moment 
upon  this  surface,  imbibe  the  colours. 

After  the  edges  have  been  thus  prepared,  the  books  are  then 
each  singly  hammered,  to  give  a  rounded  form  to  the  back,  and  a 
concave  surface  to  the  front :  the  back,  being  previously  covered 
with  glue,  retains  the  shape  thus  given  to  it. 

It  is  then  placed  between  two  boards,  and  again  in  a  press, 
with  the  back  uppermost,  and  the  back  once  more  hammered,  so 
that  it  shall  flatly  incline  over  the  boards;  and  after  various 
minor  processes,  the  book  which  seemed  to  lie  passive  in  the 
hands  of  the  workmen,  to  be  moulded  round  or  square  by  turns, 
as  they  pleased,  emerges  from  all  its  battering,  into  the  care  of 
its  "case-maker"  who  will  dress  it  in  sheep,  calf,  or  morocco, 
according  to  the  price  at  which  it  must  be  sold.  The  leather,  of 
whatever  kind,  being  cut  half  an  inch  larger  than  the  book,  all 
round,  is  pared  at  the  edges  with  a  keen  knife :  this  leather  is 
partly  stamped  before  it  is  attached  to  the  book,  which  attach- 


212  THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


ment  is  an  affair  of  very  great  nicety,  as  overlapping  the  edgea 
and  turning  in  the  corners  require  the  greatest  exactness,  other 
wise  the  book  would  be  spoiled. 

The  little  head-band  of  bright  silk  or  calico,  crimson  or  purple, 
is  now  applied. 

The  granulated  appearance  of  the  morocco  bindings  is  produced 
by  a  curious  mode  of  rubbing  the  leather  against  itself.  If  the 
book  is  to  be  stamped  or  embossed,  the  process  is  aided  by  heat, 
and  performed  by  a  machine. 

We  cannot  enter  into  any  further  detail  of  the  "  decoration," 
as  it  is  called,  of  the  cover  of  the  Bible.  From  time  to  time, 
new  patterns  and  devices  are  presented  for  this  purpose;  and, 
after  all  this  inspection,  it  is  a  greater  wonder  to  us  than  ever, 
that  a  book,  which  requires  the  aid  of — 

14  persons  to  make  its  paper 
21  persons  to  print  it  correctly, 
19  persons  to  bind  it  neatly, 

54  persons  in  all, 

(not  to  speak  of  those  of  other  trades,  who  must  have  combined 
to  its  production,)  can  be  sold  by  the  Bible  Society  for  one  shil- 
ling sterling! 

The  number  of  hands  which  a  Bible  with  gilt  edges,  bound  in 
roan,  passes  through,  in  process  of  binding,  is  as  follows  :- 

Binder's  warehouseman.  First  collator, 

Folder,  Sewer, 

Boiler,  Second  collator, 

Paperer,  Forwarder, 

Pressor,  Letterer, 

Cutter,  Varnisher, 

Examiner  of  cutting,  General  examiner  of  binding, 

Gilder,  Wrapper  in  paper  covers,  and 

Cutter  out  of  cover.  Packer. 

Embosser, 

When  the  books  are  sent  home  to  the  Bible  House,  which  they 
aro  to  the  number  (on  an  average)  of  nearly  tliree  thousand  daily, 


BIBLE    NOT   ISSUED   IN    SHEETS.  213 


another  examination  takes  place,  and  frequently  defective  copies 
are  returned  to  the  binder  to  be  made  good. 

Any  person  discovering  an  error  in  a  Bible  printed  for  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  confers  a  benefit  on  them  by 
returning  it  to  the  Bible  House,  as  it  makes  all  the  parties  em- 
ployed more  careful. 

No  Bibles  are  voted  by  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society 
to  other  societies,  or  for  any  purpose  whatever,  in  sheets.  Every 
Bible  it  sends  forth  is  bound :  this  is  to  prevent  the  possibility 
of  the  Book  afterward  being  bound  up  with  any  of  the  apocry- 
phal books,  or  with  any  note  or  preface  whatsoever.  The  Society 
circulates  the  word  of  God  alone,  ^^  without  note  or  comment.'' 

And,  now,  farewell  to  the  externals  of  the  sacred  Book.  We 
hope  it  has  pleased  you  to  examine  even  these,  in  contrast  to  the 
age  of  ancient  manuscript.  Wc  pass  on  to  the  history  of  the 
Bible  in  the  nineteenth  century. 


%  §nl  mh  ik  §kt^. 


PART  HI. 


THE  BRITISH  AND   FOREIGN  BIBLE   SOCIETY'S 

RISE,  PROGRESS, 

AND   PRESENT  OPERATIONS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Rev.  T.  Charles — Particulars  of  his  Youth— His  Missionary  Spirit— His  Usoful- 
ness  to  the  Young — Scarcity  of  the  Scriptures  in  Wales — Circulating  Schools 
— Committing  the  Bible  to  memory — Grown-up  Scholars — Meeting  of  twenty 
Schools— The  little  Girl  who  had  no  Bible— The  twelve  Peasants— Mr,  Charles's 
Visit  to  London— Tract  Committee— AVant  (i"  Wales,  and  of  the  World— For- 
mation of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society — Collections  in  Wales — In- 
fluential Friends  and  Supporters — Objects  and  Constitution  of  the  Society, 
formed  alike  for  Home  and  the  World — Its  Principle — Union  and  Co-operatiou 
of  all  Parties — Rev,  J.  Owen — Rev.  J.  Hughes. 

We  are  coming  at  last  to  the  sunshiny  portion  of  the  Story  of 
the  Book, — having  now  nothing  but  bright  and  happy  work  be- 
fore us.  We  have  been  obliged  to  go  and  weep  over  the  graves 
of  the  ancient  martyrs  and  translators,  that  we  might  know  the 
price  which  had  been  paid  for  our  precious  Bible.  We  hope  that 
many  young  persons  will  henceforth  take  the  treasure  into  their 
hands,  with  loving,  reverent,  and  grateful  hearts;  and  perhaps 
with  more  gladness  than  they  ever  felt  before,  and  pass  on  to  the 
true  and  wonderful  tale  of  the  last  fifty  years. 

If  we  were  to  tell  you  one-tenth  of  what  there  is  to  be  told,  of 
the  times  in  which  this  Book  has  been  allowed  and  enabled  to 
travel  freely  round  the  world,  our  book  would  be  too  large  for  you 
to  buy,  or  read. 

You  will  wish  to  know,  first,  how  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society  arose.  It  has  been  said,  very  truly,  that  it  •'  grew  out  of 
a  want," — the  loant  of  the  Bible  in  Wales. 

You  will  best  understand  this  want,  if  we  recount  to  you  some 
incidents  in  the  life  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Charles.  He  has  been 
called  the  "  Apostolic  Charles  of  Bala,"  (a  town  in  Merioneth- 
shire,) and  was  a  man  of  a  truly  missionary  spirit.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  this  century,  he  was  about  fifty  years  of  ago,  and  had  been 

10 


218 


THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


Charles. 


twenty  years  labouring  in 
Wales,  "  wandering  up 
and  down/'  as  lie  says, 
^Hliat  cold  and  barren 
country,  to  preach  the 
everlasting  gospel/' 

At  the  age  of  eighteen, 
being  deeply  impressed 
with  the  value  of  his  own 
soul,  and  of  the  glorious 
plan  of  salvation  set  forth 
in  the  gospel,  he  became 
anxious  also  for  the  salva- 
tion of  others.  His  first 
efforts  to  this  end  began 
at  home,  in  his  father's 
family,  and  being  natu- 
rally of  a  mild  temper  and  disposition,  he  was  beloved  by  all  his 
relations  :  notwithstanding  his  youth,  and,  as  he  says,  his  little 
knowledo-e,  he  was  enabled  to  maintain  much  influence  for  ccood, 
and  by  his  means  family-worship  was  soon  established  in  his 
father's  house. 

His  education  commenced  at  Caermarthen,-  and  was  continued 
at  Oxford,  where  he  was  supported  by  remarkable  supplies  of  God's 
providence,  afforded  as  he  needed  them;  speaking  of  which,  he 
remarks,  "  There  are  no  difficulties  with  God  :  difficulties  exist 
wholly  in  our  unbelieving  hearts." 

In  the  year  1777,  he  spent  his  vacation  with  the  Rev.  John 
Newton,  of  Olney,  the  friend  of  the  poet  Cowper,  and  he  seems 
erreatly  to  have  valued  the  visit,  during  which  he  also  heard  Mr. 
llomaine  preach.  Intercourse  with  men  such  as  these,  in  early 
life,  is  a  great  privilege,  and  often  fixes  the  cnaracter  and  pursuits 
of  young  persons. 

If  these  two  good  men  could  have  foreseen  in  Mr.  Charles  one 
of  the  fathers  and  founders  of  the  noblest  society  in  the  world, 
they  would  still  more  have  rejoiced  to  take  him  by  the  hand,  and 


REV.  THOMAS   CHARLES.  219 


speed  liim  on  his  way.  His  cliaracter  was  evidently  remarkable 
for  ingenuousness  and  humility, — the  sweet  fruits  of  true  piety. 
He  was  ordained  deacon  at  the  age  of  twenty-three,  at  Oxford ; 
and  he  says,  "  I  felt,  on  that  day,  an  earnest  desire  that  God  would 
enable  me  to  devote  myself  wholly  to  his  service,  for  the  rest  of 
my  days  on  earth. '^ 

We  cannot  go  into  all  the  details  of  Mr.  Charles's  history.  Ho 
had  an  excellent  wife,  for  whom  he  waited  several  years.  His 
income  from  his  curacy,  at  one  time,  was  not  more  than  forty 
pounds  a  year,  but  this  did  not  prevent  his  doing  much  good 
among  his  parishioners ;  for  although  he  had  not  silver  and  gold 
to  give,  he  could  offer  medicine  for  the  healing  of  the  soul,  and 
hold  forth  the  promise  of  eternal  life  in  Christ  Jesus. 

His  labours  were  especially  useful  to  children  and  young  people. 
Finding  many  of  them  at  Bala  and  the  neighbourhood  very  igno- 
rant, he  invited  them  to  his  house,  where  he  gave  them  religious 
instruction,  and  catechised  them,  on  the  Sabbath  evenings.  His 
preaching,  being  of  a  deeply-impressive  and  faithful  chara(^ter, 
gave  offence  to  many  who  were  not  willing  to  live  according  to  its 
standard.  His  services  were  rejected,  to  his  great  grief,  by  three 
churches  in  the  establishment — a  circumstance  which  will  show 
the  state  of  religion  at  that  time  in  North  Wales.  He  was  there- 
fore, though  a  churchman,  as  he  says,  from  education  and  princi- 
ple, compelled  to  remain  unemployed,  and  feel  himself  an  "un- 
profitable servant,' '  or  else  to  itinerate,  which  means,  to  preach 
from  place  to  place ;  and,  in  choosing  the  latter  course,  he  especially 
devoted  himself  to  the  spiritual  good  of  children  and  young  people. 

The  fruits  of  his  labours,  and  the  results  of  his  long  and  toil- 
some journeys,  are  still  visible  in  Wales,  in  the  superior  knowledge 
of  the  Scriptures  possessed  by  many  whom  he  caused  to  be  taught 
as  children.  Many  thousands  at  the  great  day  of  account  will 
probably  acknowledge  him  as  the  instrument  of  their  salvation, 
during  the  thirty  years  of  his  earnest  ministry. 

In  many  parts  of  the  country  the  sound  of  the  gospel  had 
scarcely  been  heard  for  centuries,  and  the  people  were  as  ignorant 
as  those  in  a  heathen  land.     The  Welsh  Bible,  though  printed 


220  THE    BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


loug  previously  by  private  effort,  and  repeatedly  afterward  by  the 
Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge,  instituted  in  1698, 
was  scarcely  to  be  found  in  any  poor  cottage  in  Wales,  in  the  year 
1783.     In  many  parishes,  not  ten  persons  could  read. 

Where  such  darkness  existed,  of  course  the  works  of  darkness 
would  be  carried  on,  and  the  people  were  to  a  great  extent  immoral 
and  ungodly.  Mr.  Charles  soon  perceived,  that,  in  order  to  do 
any  permanent  good,  the  children  must  be  regularly  instructed : 
this,  therefore,  he  undertook  as  his  special  work. 

There  had  been  established  a  few  years  before,  by  the  liberality 
of  a  lady  named  Mrs.  Bevan,  (who  left  ten  thousand  pounds  in 
her  will  for  the  purpose,)  what  were  called  ^^circulating  schools,'' 
movable  from  one  place  to  another,  at  the  end  of  nine  or  twelve 
months.  These  schools  are  still  to  be  found  in  different  parts  of 
Wales ;  but  at  the  period  we  refer  to,  they  had  ceased,  owing  to 
some  legal  dispute  about  the  property  which  supported  them. 

Mr.  Charles  wished  to  re-establish  such  schools,  to  procure 
teachers,  and  to  raise  money  to  support  them.  Some  of  the  first 
teachers  he  taught  himself.  It  was  said  by  the  Duke  of  Welling- 
ton, ''If  you  want  any  thing  done  thoroughly,  you  must  do  it 
yourself."  Mr.  Charles  raised  the  money  by  the  help  of  benevolent 
English  friends ;  and  he  began  with  one  teacher, — a  small  begin- 
ning for  the  great  and  glorious  results  which  followed ;  for  there 
is  now  no  district  of  Wales  without  the  means  of  learning  to  read 
the  word  of  God,  either  in  week-day  or  Sunday  schools. 

Mr.  Charles  wished  chiefly  to  teach  those  children  to  read  the 
Bible  in  their  own  language;  and  as  the  work  advanced^  the 
principles  and  morals  of  the  people,  where  the  schools  had  been 
instituted,  visibly  improved:  soon  the  whole  country  was  filled 
with  schools  of  one  kind  or  another,  and  then  a  general  concern 
for  eternal  things  began  to  appear  in  many  large  districts. 

He  paid  every  teacher  12.1.  a  year.  Three  quarters  of  a  year 
were  found  sufficient  to  teach  the  children  to  read  the  Bible  well, 
in  Welsh;  and  then  Mr.  Charles  visited  the  schools  by  turns, 
and  catechised  publicly, — a  plan  suited  to  a  wild  and  mountainous 
district. 


ORIGIN    OF   THE    BIBLE    SOCIETY.  221 


After  a  wliiie,  the  parents  also  began  to  attend  tHe  schools,  and 
the  teachers  did  not  refuse  to  accept  grown-up  scholars.  Many 
an  old  person  was  obliged  to  buy  spectacles  for  the  sake  of  learn- 
ing to  read  the  word  of  God;  for  neither  age  nor  dimness  of  sight 
deterred  them.  The  young  often  spent  part  of  the  night  in 
learning  chapters,  or  searching  the  Scriptures  on  points  given 
them  to  seek  out  and  prove.  Boys  and  girls  from  eight  to  six- 
teen learned  whole  books  of  the  Bible;  parents  and  children  re- 
cited together;  and  one  little  girl  is  mentioned,  who,  at  five  years 
old,  could  repeat  a  hundred  chapters,  and  went  on  learning  an- 
other every  week. 

This  will  remind  you  of  the  children  of  tKe  Yaudois,  before 
mentioned,  whose  parents  taught  them  so  to  lay  up  the  word  of 
God  in  their  hearts,  that  it  could  not  be  taken  away  from  them. 
They,  too,  lived  among  mountains  and  rocks,  as  these  Welsh  chil- 
dren did;  but  the  poor,  persecuted  Yaudois  could  never  enjoy 
meetings  such  as  were  sometimes  held  in  North  Wales,  where 
several  schools  met,  that  they  might  be  publicly  catechised  to- 
gether. They  were  frequently  held  when  the  Sabbath  was  fine, 
on  which  occasions  the  children,  accompanied  by  their  teachers, 
walked  perhaps  ten  miles,  in  the  quiet,  early  morning,  to  the 
appointed  place,  from  many  a  cottage  hidden  among  the  hills. 
Twenty  schools  would  thus  be  assembled — 

"In  the  still  valley,  with  the  mountains  round;" 

and  to  this  vast  concourse  of  persons  Mr.  Charles  preached,  after 
the  examination  had  been  concluded. 

We  are  told,  that,  in  the  year  1802,  as  he  was  walking  in  the 
streets  of  Bala,  he  met  with  a  child  who  attended  his  ministry. 
He  inquired  if  she  could  repeat  the  text  from  which  he  had 
preached  on  the  previous  Sunday:  she  was  silent,  and  the  in- 
quiry was  repeated.  At  length  she  answered,  '^The  weather  has 
been  so  bad  that  I  could  not  get  to  read  the  Bible. '^  The  reason 
of  this  was  soon  ascertained :  there  was  no  copy  to  which  she 
could  gain  access,  either  at  her  own  home,  or  among  her  friends; 
and  she  was  accustomed  to  walk  seven  miles  over  the  hills,  every 
week,  to  a  place  where  she  could  obtain  a  Welsh  Bible,  for  tho 


222  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


purpose  of  reading  the  chapter  from  which  the  minister  took  hip 
text.  During  that  week,  the  cold  and  stormy  weather,  it  seems, 
had  hindered  her  journey.  Are  we,  who  have  Bibles  of  our  own, 
always  so.  anxious  to  consult  them  after  we  have  listened  to  a 
sermon  ? 

Another  incident,  proving  the  want  of  the  Scriptures  in  Wales, 
may  be  mentioned. 

Twelve  Welsh  peasants  subscribed  together  to  purchase  a  copy 
of  the  Bible,  which,  like  the  schools,  was  to  circulate  among  the 
hills.  Each  family  was  to  keep  it  a  month,  and  then  pass  it  for- 
ward. On  its  arrival  among  them,  an  old  man,  who  had  been 
the  last  subscriber,  finding  his  name  at  the  end  of  the  list,  wept 
bitterly,  saying,  "  Alas !  it  will  be  twelve  months  before  it  comes 
to  me,  and  I  dare  say  I  shall  be  gone  before  that  time  into  an- 
other world !" 

Mr.  Charles  was  deeply  grieved  that  there  were  so  few  Bibles 
in  Wales, — so  few  in  comparison  with  the  wants  of  the  people. 
The  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge  had,  in  addition 
to  former  supplies,  printed  10,000  Bibles,  and  in  the  year  1799 
this  edition  was  distributed.  They  were  no  sooner  published 
than  sold.  Not  a  single  copy  was  left,  and, still  not  a  fourth  part 
of  the  country  was  supplied.  The  society  above  named  hesitated 
about  printing  another  edition;  and,  notwithstanding  the  earnest 
entreaties  of  the  Rev.  T.  Jones,  of  Creaton,  (who,  like  Mr.  Charles, 
felt  for  his  countrymen,)  seconded  by  the  Bishop  of  Peterborough 
and  others,  all  hopes  of  receiving  further  supplies  from  that 
quarter  were  abandoned.  Hence  it  became  necessary  to  devise 
some  other  means  to  provide  Bibles  for  Wales.  "The  joy  of 
those  who  received  the  Bibles  amounted  to  exultation,  while  the 
grief  of  such  as  could  not  obtain  a  copy  fell  little  short  of  an- 
guish."* 

In  December,  1802,  Mr.  Charles  visited  London,  intending  to 
interest  his  friends  in  certain  plans  for  securing  his  object.  The 
subject  of  the  Bibles  was  much  on  his  mind;  and,  one  morning, 

*  Owen's  '-'History  of  the  Bible  Society,"  p.  11. 


ORIGIN    OF   THE    BIBLE    SOCIETY. 


223 


lying  awake  and  thinking,  the  idea  of  having  a  society  for  dis- 
tributing the  Bible  alone,  on  a  plan  similar  to  that  of  the  Eeli- 
gious  Tract  Society,  established  in  London,  occurred  to  him.  He 
was  so  pleased  with  it,  that  he  instantly  arose,  and  went  out  to 
consult  with  friends,  with  a  view  to  carry  out  this  idea. 

The  first  friend  he  met  with  was  Mr.  Tarn,  who  was  one  of  the 
committee  of  the  Tract  Society;  and  at  the  next  meeting,  Mr. 
Charles  was  introduced,  and  represented,  with  all  the  ardour  of 
his  character,  the  dearth  of  Bibles  in  his  native  principality,  and 
the  longing  desire  of  the  Welsh  to  have  them.  At  the  moment 
when  this  appeal  was  made  for  Bibles  for  the  principality,  the 
Rev.  Joseph  Hughes,  who  was  at  that  time  one  of  the  secretaries 
of  the  Tract  Society,  gave  expression  to  these  memorable  words : 
'^  Surely  a  society  might  he  formed  for  the  purpose;  and  if  for 
Wales,  u'hy  not  also  for  the  empire  and  the  worldT^  In  this 
thought,  all  present  shared  and  rejoiced.  The  meeting  instructed 
its  secretary  to  follow  up  the  suggestion,  and  'prepared  a  letter, 
inviting  Christians  of  every  name  to  unite  to  form  a  society  to 
Bend  the  word  of  God,  without  note  or  comment,  all  over  the  world. 
On  the  7th  of  March,  1804,  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 

Society  was  actually  esta- 
blished, at  a  meeting  held 
in  a  room  at  the  London 
Tavern,  in  ■  Bishopsgate- 
street,  about  300  persons 
being  present.  On  that 
very  spot,  at  the  commence- 
ment of  its  Jubilee  Year, 
its  friends  met  once  more, 
but  there  was  only  one  out 
of  this  number  (the  vene- 
rable Dr.  SteinkopiF)  spared 
to  join  hands  with  the  pre- 
sent supporters  of  the  old 
and  tried  society, — a  so- 
SteinkopfF,  ciety  which  has  furnished 


224  THE   BOOK   AND  ITS   STORY 


a  platform  on  whicli  all  Christians  could  so  harmoniously  unite  in 
one  labour  of  love,  and  which  has  gone  on,  notwithstanding 
difficulties  and  objections,  doing  its  own  work,  conquering  and  to 
conquer,  in  every  region  to  which  its  operations  have  been  ex- 
tended. 

In  his  ^'History  of  the  Bible  Society,"  the  Rev.  John  Owen, 
a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England,  who  early  became  one  of 
its  secretaries,  has  given  a  touching  account  of  the  effect  of  this 
first  meeting  on  his  own  mind.  He  had  received  during  the 
previous  summer,  from  Mr.  Hughes,  two  copies  of  his  essay, 
entitled,  "The  Excellence  of  the  Holy  Scriptures:  an  Argument 
for  their  more  General  Dispersion,"  with  a  request  that  he  would 
accept  one  for  his  own  use,  and  present  the  other  to  the  Bishop 
of  London.  He  did  present  the  one  copy  as  requested,  but 
"took  little  pains  either  to  understand  or  recommend  the  other;" 
in  fact,  he  scarcely  thought  of  it  again,  until  he  received  a  cir- 
cular letter  inviting  him  to  attend  the  meeting  for  the  formation 
of  the  society;  and  then,  perceiving  the  name  of  his  intimate 
and  valued  friend,  Granville  Sharp,  Esq.,  at  the  head  of  the  sig- 
natures, he  was  induced  to  attend,  though  almost  against  his 
will.  On  entering  the  room,  he  had  scarcely  taken  the  station 
assigned  to  him  by  the  committee,  before  he  perceived,  as  he 
says,  to  his  great  astonishment,  that  three  of  this  committee,  from 
their  dress,  and  from  their  wearing  their  hats,  were  Quakers. 

Now,  Mr,  Owen  at  that  time  shared  deeply  in  the  popular 
prejudice  and  belief,  that  the  Quakers,  or,  more  properly,  mem- 
bers of  "  The  Society  of  Friends,"  did  not  read  or  love  the 
Bible;  and  noble  is  his  confession,  that  his  after-experience  of 
their  conduct  in  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  repeatedly 
made  him  ashamed  of  this  prejudice. 

The  business  of  the  day  was  opened  by  Robert  Cowie,  Esq. ; 
William  Alers  Hankey,  Esq.,  followed,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Samuel  Mills,  Esq.,  and  the  Rev.  J.  Hughes.  Each  spoke  of 
the  want  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  throughout  the  world,  and  urged 
the  necessity  of  fresh  means  of  supply,  in  a  strain  of  good  sens€ 
and  temperat3  zeal. 

\ 


FORMATION    OF    THE   BIBLE    SOCIETY.  225 


Mr.  Owen  sat  and  listened,  and  felt  that  he  must  give  assent, 
though  with  half  reluctance ;  for  the  thought  of  uniting  with 
all  denominations  of  dissenters,  for  any  purpose  on  earth,  was 
exceedingly  distasteful  to  him  ;  but  when  good  Dr.  Steinkopfif, 
a  German  Lutheran  clergyman,  arose,  the  representation  he  gave 
of  the  scarcity  of  the  Scriptures,  which  he  had  himself  observed 
in  foreign  parts,  the  unaffected  simplicity  and  tender  pathos  of 
his  appeal  for  his  own  countrymen,  subdued  at  once  both  the  mind 
and  heart  of  Mr.  Owen ;  and,  "  by  an  impulse  which  he  had 
neither  the  inclination  nor  the  power  to  disobey,"  he  rose  and 
expressed  his  conviction  that  such  a  society  icas  needed;  and 
that  its  establishment  should  not  be  delayed. 

There  had  been  hitherto  no  point  where  Christians,  for  ages 
kept  asunder  through  different  systems  of  discipline  in  their 
communities,  and  regarding  each  other  too  often  with  a  sort  of 
pious  horror,  could  meet,  to  make  one  united  and  loving  effort 
against  the  evil  which  is  in  the  world  ;  but  Mr.  Owen  now  felt, 
that  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  would  afford  this 
meeting-point;  for  that,  whatever  might  be  the  differences  of 
opinion  and  discipline,  all  who  became  its  members  would  de- 
clare that  they  belonged  to  the  most  ancient  and  venerable  Church 
of  the  Book ;  and,  in  the  desire  to  give  it  to  all  nations,  ^'  the 
multitude  of  them  that  believed  were  of  one  heart  and  of  one 
soul." 

In  a  letter  from  Mr.  Tarn  to  Mr.  Charles,  describing  this  first 
meeting,  and  telling  him  that  700?.  had  been  subscribed  upon 
the  spot,  he  says,  "  The  Rev.  John  Owen  did  the  cause  great 
service.  He  spoke,  of  his  own  accord,  after  the  other  friends, 
and,  in  a  most  powerful,  argumentative,  and  scriptural  manner, 
showed  that  the  society  was  founded  on  the  sure  word  and 
promises  of  God." 

Mr.  Charles  was  not  present  at  the  formation  of  the  society. 
He  was  at  home  among  his  schools  and  his  people ;  but  he  re- 
joiced to  hear  of  it,  and  took  no  honour  to  himself.  He  exerted 
all  his  influence  to  obtain  subscriptions  for  the  support  of  tho 
new  society,  and  h(?  and  his  Welsh  friends  prayed  much  for  it  • 


226  THE    BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


go  that  the  contributions  of  the  principality,  in  the  first  year, 
amounted  to  nearly  1900/.,  ^'contributed  chiefly/^  says  Mr. 
Owen,  "  by  the  plain  and  lower  orders  of  people."  Dr.  Warner, 
the  bishop  of  Bangor,  and  Dr.  Burgess,  the  bishop  of  St.  David's, 
were,  however,  among  the  earlie**^  supporters  of  the  society 
in  Wales. 

Around  this  point  of  union  soon  rallied  many  of  the  noble  and 
the  good,  who  were  desirous  to  come  back  to  the  two  grand, 
simple  principles  of  union  which  prevailed  in  the  early  church, 
to  "  liold  fast  the  faithful  word,^'  and  to  "  love  one  another." 

Mr.  Owen  took  great  care  to  make  Bishop  Porteus,  the  bishop 
of  London,  with  whom  he  was  on  intimate  terms,  regularly  ac- 
quainted with  the  proceedings  of  the  committee;  and  the  bishop, 
who  felt  a  lively  interest  in  their  affairs,  recommended  Lord 
Teignmouth  to  become  their  president.  Wilberforce,  too,  the 
never-to-be-forgotten  friend  of  the  slave,  at  their  second  general 
meeting,  encouraged  the  society  to  '^  proceed  in  its  work  with 
an  ardour  and  a  discretion  becoming  its  object  and  its  end.'' 

We  can  never  sufficiently  admire  the  overruling  power  and 
grace  of  God,  who  had  provided  instruments  so  well  fitted  to  the 
great  work  of  conducting  the  arrangements  of  this  society,  as 
Mr.  Owen  and  Mr.  Hughes,  its  first  secretaries.  These  good 
men  are  now  beyond  the  award  of  human  praise;  therefore  we 
may  look  back  upon  the  points  of  character  which  constituted 
their  fitness.  For  six  weeks  after  their  memorable  meeting  of 
the  7th  of  March,  1804,  the  Rev.  Josiah  Pratt  (who  likewise 
filled  the  office  of  secretary  to  the  Church  Missionary  Society  for 
twenty-one  years)  had  kindly  consented  to  fill  the  office  of  clerical 
secretary,  till  a  suitable  person  could  be  found  to  undertake  it. 
During  the  short  period,  he  efi"ected  the  reorganization  of  the 
committee,  which  was  to  consist  of  thirty-six  members  of  all  de- 
nominations of  Christian^,  and  concerted  a  plan  which  should 
define  their  respective  proportions. 

HaviDg  established  this  point,  Mr.  Pratt  begged  to  present  to 
the  committe?  the  Rev.  John  Owen,  in  his  own  stead — the  duties 
of  his  cthei    secretaryship  being   found,  by  himself,  more  than 


JOHN    OWEN— JOSEPH    HUGHES.  227 


sufficient ;  and  thougli  he  thus  voluntarily  ceased  to  be  connected 
officially  with  the  concerns  of  the  Bible  Society,  he  continued  its 
firm  friend  and  advocate  to  the  close  of  his  life. 

There  is,  we  are  sorry  to  say,  no  biography  of  Mr.  Owen, 
which  we  can  condense  for  your  benefit ;  but  his  name  will  live 
for  ever  on  the  records  of  the  Bible  Society.  For  the  last 
eighteen  years  of  his  life,  he  devoted  himself  almost  entirely  to 
its  interests,  "  with  talents  that  enlivened  every  topic,  and  a 
temper  that  conciliated  every  heart."  From  the  time  that,  under 
the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  at  its  first  meeting,  he  felt  the 
necessity  for  such  a  union  of  Christians,  and  such  a  forgetting 
of  personal  prejudices,  for  the  sake  of  the  wide  circulation  of  the 
Divine  word,  he  never  wavered.  He  had  ^'  enthroned  the  Bible 
Society  in  his  heart ;  and  he  thought,  and  spoke,  and  wrote, 
from  day  to  day,  as  if  all  his  interests  were  staked  on  its  support 
and  advancement." 

God  had  endowed  him  eminently  with  the  tongue  of  an  elo- 
quent speaker,  and  the  "  pen  of  a  ready  writer."  He  had  the 
higher  praise  of  a  disciplined  judgment,  and  a  piercing  intelli- 
gence, combined  with  frankness,  candour,  urbanity,  and  diligence, 
which  hardly  allowed  itself  a  pause.  ''  Whether  he  ascended 
the  pulpit,  or  entered  the  crowded  hall,  or  prosecuted  the  details 
of  business,  or  carried  on  a  vast  correspondence,  or  undertook  the 
task  of  the  historian,  or  became  a  fellow-traveller,  or  spared  a 
few  horn's  to  the  social  circle,  or  joined  his  family,  he  was  still 
the  giftedjthe  judicious,  the  admirable  Owen." 

These  particulars  are  chiefly  derived  from  the  affectionate  yet 
considerate  statements  of  the  man  who  knew  him  best,  in  con- 
nection with  the  society  which  they  both  served  and  loved — the 
Rev.  Joseph  Hughes,  minister  of  a  Baptist  church  at  Battersea, 
^ho  for  almost  thirty  years  was  also  the  faithful  and  invaluable 
secretary  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society. 

It  was  he  whose  warm  heart  and  enlarged  views  first  dictated 
the  words,  ^'If  for  Wales,  why  not  for  the  world?"  He  also 
WTote  the  essay  which  first  a'nnounced  the  plan  of  '  the  pro- 
posed society,"    deeply   interesting  to  read,  now  that  his  vpi<?^ 


228 


THE   BOOK    AND   ITS   STORY. 


is  silent  in  tlie  grave,  while 
the  society  keeps  its  Jubi- 
lee, and  is  fulfilling  its  pro- 
mise to  the  whole  earth. 

In  this  essay,  the  socie- 
ties which  had  already  be- 
gun to  distribute  the  Scrip- 
tures are  enumerated^  They 
are  as  follows  : — 

The  Society  for  Promo- 
ting Christian  Knowledge, 
founded  in  1698 ; 

The  Society  for  the  Pro- 
pagation ©f  the  Gospel  in 
Foreign  Parts,  in  1701; 
The  Society,  in  Scotland, 
for  Propagating  Christian  Knowledge,  in  1709 ; 

The  Society  for  Promoting  Heligious  Knowledge  among  the 
Poor,  in  1 750 ; 

The  Bible  Society  for  the  Use  of  the  Army  and  Na\^,  in 
1780; 

The  Society  for  Support  and  Encouragement  of  Sunday  Schools 
1785; 

After  describing  their  arrangements,  which,  though  excellent 
were  insufficient  to  meet  the  wants  even  of  Christendom  alone, 
Mr.  Hughes  sketched  the  idea  of  the  society  which  ''  should  be 
supported  by  Christiana  in  general,  should  smile  alike  on  Britons 
and  on  foreigners,  should  conquer  the  wide  empire  of  darkness, 
and,  by  the  light  of  truth,  should  scatter  the  watchful  spirits 
that  guard  its  frontier." 

The  "universal  effort,"  which  Mr.  Hughes  suggested,  has  been 
made,  and  the  light  of  truth  has  gone  forth,  and  is  welcomed  b^ 
"  the  nations ;"  bufit  is  for  jon  of  this  generation  to  take  up 
the  work  which  your  fathers  have  begun.  We  hope  to  show  you 
what  fifty  years  have  seen  accomplished ;  hut  it  is  as  nothing,  to 
khe  magnitude  of  that  which  remains  to  be  done. 


THE    SOCIETY    THE   RESULT    OF   EDUCATION.  229 


"We  need  more  men  like  Hughes,  and  Owen,  and  Steinkopff, 
with  their  self-denying  energy,  and  their  sanctified  temper,  for 
the  service  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society.  We  require 
also  that  the  gold  of  this  world  should  flow  into  this  noble  chan- 
nel, with  something  like  the  tide  which  attends  a  single  scene  of 
festive  pleasure — such  as  the  race-course  at  Epsom  :  and  we 
believe  that,  when  God  sees  fit,  we  shall  have  it ;  for,  at  the 
close  of  this  fifty  years,  are  not  China  and  India,  with  their  500 
millions  of  soids,  yet  unevangelized,  though  the  Scriptures  are 
translated  into  their  languages,  and  many  of  the  harriers  to  their 
circidation  have  been  removed? 

With  this  fact  before  our  eyes,  is  one  hundred  thousand  pounds 
too  much  to  look  for  from  this  age  of  gold,  as  its  Jubilee-ofibring 
to  the  Book  of  God,  from  all  the  world  ? 

Is  there  any  one  who  can  consider  the  Book  itself,  and  mark 
its  history,  although  struck  only  in  broad  outline  to  arouse  young 
minds  to  seek  it  further,  and  yet  refuse  to  aid  in  this  noble 
service  ? 

We  know  that  the  class  to  whom  this  volume  is  more  particu- 
larly addressed,  prefer  facts  to  inferences,  example  to  precept, 
anecdotes  to  statistics,  and  principles  gink  deepest  into  their 
minds  by  the  power  of  biography  and  narrative.  They  must, 
however,  follow  us  for  a  little  while  into  the  statements  of  the 
first  proceedings  of  the  society,  before  we  claim  their  further 
attention  to  the  lives  and  histories  of  its  secretaries. 

In  concluding  this  chapter,  we  may  observe,  that  the  Bible 
Society  would  not  have  been,  at  the  commencement  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  the  wan  t  of  the  age,  but  for  the  advance  of  popu- 
lar education,  which  had  then  begun  to  prepare  the  world  to 
receive  the  seed  of  God's  holy  word.  The  Sunday-schcol  Socie- 
ties, the  Missionary  Institutions,  the  National,  and  British  and 
Foreign  School  Societies,  the  design  of  which  is  to  educate  the 
labouring  and  manufactiiring  classes,  all  arose  about  this  time, 
and  in  ore  luminous  host  led  the  way  into  ihe  kingdom  of 
darkness ;  each  and  all  called  upon  the  Bible  Society  to  supplv 
them  witl.  the  Scriptures,  that  they  might  dispense  them  abroad. 

20 


23C  THE    BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


The  scliDols  could  not  do  without  cheap  Bibles.  The  mission- 
aries required  the  Bible  in  ancient  and  modern  versions.  The 
united  action  of  all  those  societies  has  distinguished  the  nine- 
tf:;.iith  centuiy  above  every  other.  It  is  the  age  in  which  people 
are  educated,  and  the  age  in  which  provision  is  made  to  supply 
hem  freely  with  the  Holy  Scriptures. 


CHAPTEB  II. 

Arrival  of  Bibles  in  Wales — Answer  to  Prayer  for  Mr.  Charles — His  visit  to 
Ireland — His  Funeral — Want  of  the  Scriptures  in  Scotland  and  in  France — 
Revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  and  its  Results — Suiforings  of  the  Hu- 
guenots and  Vaudois — Reaction  of  Infidelity — Desire  of  England  to  circulate 
the  Bible  in  France — Oberlin  and  the  Ban  de  la  Roche — Scripture  Readers — 
Bible  Societies  at  Walbach  and  Nuremberg — Scarcity  of  the  Scriptures  even 
in  Europe — Their  Circulation  among  French  and  Spanish  Prisoners  of  War — 
Bible  Society  at  Berlin — Willingness  of  a  Priest  to  distribute  the  New  Tes- 
tament— The  Field  of  Labour  in  Asia — Chinese  Gospels  in  the  British  Mu- 
seum— India  and  the  Tamil'  Language — Africa — America. 

One  of  the  earliest  efforts  of  the  committee  of  the  Bible  So- 
ciety was,  naturally,  to  provide  an  edition  of  Welsh  Bibles  and 
Testaments  :  they  first  inquired,  as  has  ever  been  their  practice 
in  like  circumstances,  whether  a  previous  revision  might  not  be 
necessary;  and  since  this  was  the  case,  some  delay  necessarily 
took  place,  so  that  the  supply  of  20,000  Bibles,  and  5000  large 
Testaments,  printed  for  the  first  time  by  stereotype  plates,  was 
not  ready  for  distribution  until  July,  1806.  An  eyewitness 
thus  describes  its  reception  :  ''When  the  arrival  of  the  cart  was 
announced,  which  carried  the  first  sacred  load,  the  Welsh  pea- 
sants went  out  in  crowds  to  meet  it,  welcomed  it  as  the  Israelites 
did  the  ark  of  old,  drew  it  into  the  town,  and  eagerly  bore  off 
every  copy  as  rapidly  as  they  could  be  dispersed.  The  young 
oeople  consumed   the   whole  night  in  reading  it,  and  labourers 


REiMARKAELE    INCIDENTS.  231 


carried  it  with  them  to  the  fields,  that  they  might  enjoy  it  during 
the  infervals  of  their  labour." 

Mr.  Charles,  with  whose  memory  we  cannot  but  connect  these 
Welsh  Bibles,  was  travelling,  in  the  autumn  of  1799,  over  a 
mountain  in  Merionethshire,  one  frosty  night,  and  had  his  hand 
frost-bitten:  an  illness  followed,  and  his  life  was  in  danger. 
Under  these  circumstances,  his  friends  met  to  pray  for  his  resto- 
ration, and  one  person,  alluding  to  the  fifteen  years  added  to 
Hezekiah's  life,  of  old,  entreated  Grod  to  spare  Mr.  Charles's  life 
also  fifteen  years :  ''  Fifteen  years,  O  Lord !  add  but  fifteen  years 
to  the  life  of  thy  servant !  Spare  him  for  fifteen  years  more  to 
thy  church  and  thy  people!'^  Mr.  Charles  heard  of  this  prayer, 
and  it  made  a  deep  impression  on  his  mind.  He  mentioned  it 
to  several  friends  during  the  last  years  of  his  life,  for  his  death 
did  occur  just  at  the  close  of  the  fifteen  years. 

It  was  during  this  period  of  fifteen  years  that  the  most  im- 
portant acts  of  his  life  took  place — the  most  valuable  of  his  works 
were  written — the  complete  establishment  of  the  Sunday-schools 
was  effected;  and  it  was  during  this  period  he  was  made  one  of 
the  honourable  instruments  employed  by  Providence  to  originate 
the  Bible  Society.  What  great  and  glorious  answers  were  these 
to  the  fervent  prayer  of  the  poor,  simple,  old  Christian  pilgrim 
at  Bala ! 

Mr.  Charles  was  a  most  industrious  man,  usually  rising  between 
four  and  five  in  the  morning.  He  lived  ten  years  after  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Bible  Society.  His  visit  to  Ireland  was  paid, 
in  company  with  Mr.  Hughes,  Dr.  Bogue,  and  S.  Mills,  Esq.,  for 
the  Hibernian  Society,  taking  with  them  one  thousand  Testa- 
ments to  distribute  on  their  way.  He  noticed  that  the  poor  in 
their  cabins  were  very  civil  and  communicative,  but  entirely 
ignorant  of  the  Bible.  In  Ireland,  at  tAis  time,  not  above  a  third 
even  of  Protestant  families  possessed  a  Bible,  while,  among  Bo- 
man  Catholics,  far  more  numerous,  a  Bible  was  probably  not  to 
be  found  in  more  than  one  out  of  500  families.  He  was  of 
opinion  that  religion  could  not  be  diffused  among  them  without 
Bibles,  and  preaching  in   heir  own  language,  and  schools  to  teach 


232  THE    BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


them  to  read  Irish.  "We  have  not  met/'  says  he,  "with  one 
person  who  could  read  Irish,  and  there  are  no  elementary  books 
in  the  language.     Circulating  schools  might  do  wonders  here.'' 

All  these  four  measures  of  improvement  have  been  adopted. 
Bibles  have  been  printed  in  Irish,  schools  have  been  opened  to 
teach  it.  Scripture-readers  are  appointed,  and  the  gospel  is 
preached  to  the  people  in  their  own  tongue.  Much  of  this  good 
has  issued  from  the  visit  of  Mr.  Charles,  Mr.  Hughes,  and  their 
companions. 

The  former  was  called  not  long  after  this  visit  to  receive  his 
reward.  He  died  in  the  fifty-ninth  year  of  his  age,  and  his  good 
wife  followed  him  three  weeks  afterward. 

All  who  had  ever  known  him  spoke  of  him  as  "  the  good  Mr. 
Charles."  Vast  multitudes  attended  his  funeral,  and  in  pro- 
cession sang  hymns  from  Bala  to  Llanycil,  the  parish  church, 
about  a  mile  distant.  He  had  been  an  "epistle  of  Christ,  known 
and  read  of  all  men."  His  very  countenance  was  heavenly  in  its 
expression,  and  showed  the  serene  mind  within.  By  his  works, 
"he,  being  dead,  yet  speaketh." 


Having  thus  ascertained  the  state  of  Wales,  and  of  Ireland,  at 
the  commencement  of  its  operations,  the  attention  of  the  Bible 
Society  was  about  this  time  called  also  to  the  Graelic  Scriptures; 
and  it  was  ascertained  that  in  the  Highlands  of  Scotland  very 
few  persons  were  in  possession  of  a  complete  Bible.  The  Gaelic 
Bible  had  been  published  in  four  volumes,  and  about  one  in  forty 
]  ersons  might  possess  one  of  these.  A  complete  copy  was,  from 
its  cost,  quite  beyond  the  ability  of  any  poor  person  to  purchase, 
and,  in  fact,  was  not  easily  to  be  procured  at  all.  In  the  Isle  of 
Skye,  then  containing  about  15,000  persons,  and  since  so  .memo- 
rable for  misery  and  famine,  scarcely  one  Gaelic  Bible  was  to  be 
found. 

A  circular  was  in  the  summer  of  1807  despatched  to  the  minis- 
ters of  the  Church  of  Scotland  throughout  the  Highlands,  saying^ 
that  the  whole  Gaelic  Bible  would  be  sold  to  subscribers,  in  Octo- 


THE   GAELIC   BIBLE — FRANCE.  233 


ber  following,  at  3s.  Sd.,  and  tlie  Testa  nent  at  lOrZ.; — information 
which  excited  the  liveliest  joy  and  gratitude  in  every  manse  and 
cottage.  "  I  do  not  suppose/'  says  one  minister,  "  that,  among 
4000  souls  under  my  pastoral  care,  there  are  a  dozen  Gaelic 
Bibles."  Another  says,  "  We  are  very  grateful  for  this  prospect 
of  providing  ourselves  with  the  Holy  Scriptures  in  our  native 
mother-tongue, — a  thing  long  wished  for  over  all  the  Highlands 
of  Scotland.  Many  of  the  poor  of  Glasgow,  on  hearing  of  these 
cheap  Scriptures  in  their  native  tongue,  expressed  their  gratitude 
with  tears  of  joy.     Each  copy  has  hitherto  cost  25s.  at  least.'' 


There  was,  therefore,  proof  enough  that  the  society  was  wanted 
at  home.  But  while  it  began  to  fulfil  its  mission  throughout  the 
isles  of  Britain,  it  had  also  to  look  abroad,  and  in  Roman  Catholic, 
Mohammedan,  and  Heathen  countries,  to  find  the  word  of  God 
comparatively  and  almost  utterly  unknown. 

We  purpose  to  give,  in  the  first  place,  a  picture  of  the  want  of 
it  in  France. 

You  have  heard  of  the  two  translations  of  the  Bible  which  had 
been  made  in  the  sixteenth  century,  by  Olivetan  and  De  Sacy,  and 
carried  forth  to  a  wide  extent  by  colporteurs.  There  were  various 
horrible  decrees  issued  by  the  parliament  at  Paris  against  the  book- 
carriers,  who  had  travelled  all  over  the  country,  and  excited  there- 
by, to  the  fullest  extent,  the  wrath  of  all  those  who  wished  to  hide 
the  Book.  Beza,  in  his  "  Ecclesiastical  History  of  the  Reformed 
Churches,"  quotes  the  names  of  several  Bible-colporteurs,  who 
expiated  in  the  flames,  and  by  the  most  dreadful  tortures,  the 
crime  of  having  distributed  the  word  of  God. 

After  this,  the  very  existence  of  colporteurs  m  France  ceased; 
and  then,  toward  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century,  on  the 
2d  of  October,  1685,  came  the  fatal  revocation  of  the  edict  of 
Nantes.  Nantes  is  a  town  in  Britanny,  where  Henry  IV.  had 
signed  an  edict  in  their  favour,  proclaiming  liberty  of  conscience, 
and  appointing  places  of  safety  for  the  Huguenots  :  this  edict  had 
passed  in  1598. 

20* 


234  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


The  old  cliancellor  of  Louis  XIV.,  Le  Tellier,  at  tlie  age  of 
eiglity-three,  being  a  violent  Romanist,  and  thinking  he  did  God 
service,  requested  the  king  to  afford  him  the  consolation,  before 
he  died,  of  signing  the  revoca^tion  of  this  edict.  His  desire  was 
accomplished,  and  all  the  Huguenots  in  the  kingdom  were  aban- 
doned to  military  execution.  The  dying  chancellor,  on  signing 
the  edict,  actually  quoted  the  beautiful  words  of  Simeon. 

Then  began  the  destruction  of  the  Protestant  churches,  the  shut- 
ang  up  of  the  schools,  and  the  banishment  of  all  ministers  of  the 
reformed  faith,  within  fifteen  days.  Compliance  was  to  be  en- 
forced with  tne  sword ;  troops  were  spread  over  Normandy,  Bri- 
tanny,  Languedoc,  and  Provence ;  and,  by  their  bitter  cruelties,  a 
fourth  of  the  kingdom  was  depopulated,  its  trade  ruined,  the  whole 
country  being  abandoned  to  the  pillage  of  dragoons. 

"  By  this  edict,"  says  St.  Simon,  "  punishment  and  torture 
awaited  thousands,  families  were  stripped  of  their  possessions,  re- 
lations armed  against  each  other,  and  our  manufactures  transferred 
to  the  stranger.  The  world  saw  crowds  of  their  fellow-creatures 
proscribed,  naked,  fugitive,  guilty  of  no  crime,  and  yet  driven  to 
seek  an  asylum  in  foreign  lands.  Their  own  country  was,  in  the 
mean  time,  subjected  to  the  lash  and  the  galleys,  the  noble,  the 
affluent,  the  aged,  the  weak,  often  distinguished  by  their  rank  no 
less  than  by  their  piety  and  virtue ; — and  all  this  on  no  other  ac- 
count than  that  of  their  religion.  Meanwhile,  vast  numbers  were 
either  forced  to  conform,  or  feigned  to  do  so,  and  sacrificed  their 
conscience  to  their  worldly  interests.  Within  twenty-four  hours, 
the  same  persons  were  frequently  conducted  from  tortures  to  abju- 
ration, from  abjuration  to  the  communion-table,  attended  to  each 
alike  by  the  coilimon  executioner."* 

"  On  the  most  moderate  computation,  the  numbers  who  left  the 
kingdom  were  400,000,  while  an  equal  number  perished,  on  going 
into  exile,  of  famine  or  fatigue,  in  pris^on,  in  the  galleys,  and  on 
the  scafi"old ;  and  a  million  besides,  seemingly  converted,  maintained 
in  secret,  amid  tears  and  desolation,  the  faith  of  their  forefathers. 


*  St.  Simon's  "MemoirsJ' 


REVOCATION   OF   THE   EDICT   OF   NANTES.  235 


^'Bossuet,  riechier,  and  the  Roman  liierarcliy,  were  in  rap- 
tures at  the  daily  accounts  of  conversion :  6000  abjuring  in  one 
place,  10,000  in  another,  the  churches  could  not  hold  the  con- 
verts; but  it  is  not  thus  that  the  real  conversion  of  mankind  is 
effected;  dragoons  and  stripes  will  never  permanently  enchain 
the  human  mind;  and  this  single  act  of  Louis  XIV.  did  more  to 
enfeeble  France,  than  all  his  victories  had  done  to  strengthen 
her."* 

Of  course  this  persecution  extended  to  the  yaud.ois  valleys. 
There,  their  inhabitants  were  henceforth  and  for  ever  to  cease 
and  discontinue  all  the  exercises  of  their  religion  :  all  the  churches 
and  schools  were  to  be  razed  to  the  ground;  and  whosoever  on 
their  sick-beds  refused  the  sacraments  of  the  Popish  Church, 
were  to  be  drawn  out  on  a  hurdle,  and  thrown  upon  the  way-side 
to  die.  Every  new-born  child  was,  at  a  week  old,  to  be  taken  to 
the  cure,  and  admitted  into  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  or  the 
mother  was  to  be  publicly  whipped  with  rods,  and  the  father 
sentenced  for  five  years  to  the  galleys.  These  and  other  mon- 
strous threats,  the  Yaudois,  acting  as  one  man,  resolved  to  resist 
to  the  last  gasp,  and  they  did  so;  but,  oh !  at  what  a  price! — be- 
trayed and  massacred  with  cruelties  of  which  we  will  tell  you  no 
more.  Out  of  the  15,000  Yaudois,  who  constituted  the  popula- 
tion of  the  valleys  a  few  months  before,  only  2656  reached  a 
refuge  in  Geneva.  One  half  of  the  generous  population  came  out 
to  meet  them  at  the  Arve,  the  river  which  bounds  their  sublime 
territory,  and  there  competed,  as  for  an  honour,  who  should  re- 
ceive into  his  hospitable  dwelling  these  poor  sufferers.  From 
Geneva  they  were  afterward  scattered  to  Brandenburg,  to  Wur- 
temburg,  to  Holland,  to  America;  and  so,  through  the  Yaudois 
valleys,  reigned  once  more  the  silence  of  death  and  desolation. 

"But  it  was  by  enduring,  not  inflicting  tortures,  that  the 
apostles  established  Christianity  on  an  imperishable  foundation. 
The  tears  of  the  innocent  Huguenots  were  registered  in  heaven. 
They  brought  down  an  awful  visitation  on  the  third  and  fourth 

*  Alison's  "  History  of  Europe." 


236  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


generations;  and  from  tlie  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantes  is  to 
be  dated  the  commencement  of  a  series  of  causes  an  d  effects  which 
closed  the  reign  of  Louis  XIY.  in  mourning,  and  brought  on  the 
reaction  of  infidelity  and  atheism,  which  issued  in  the  Revolution 
that  overthrew  the  throne  and  the  church,  and  covered  France 
with  indelible  stains  of  bloodshed  and  disgrace." 


In  November,  1804,  a  letter  was  received  from  M.  Oberlin, 
the  pastor  of  the  Ban  de  la  Roche,  a  dreary  and  secluded  terri- 
tory in  Alsace,  at  twelve  leagues'  distance  from  Strasbourg,  of  a 
very  interesting  character.  The  Ban  de  la  Roche  was  favoured 
in  a  peculiar  degree  with  the  benefits  of  education  amid  sur- 
rounding ignorance,  through  the  labours  of  this  excellent  Lutheran 
clergyman.  Like  Mr.  Charles  of  Bala,  he  prepared  his  people  to 
receive  the  Scriptures,  and  excited  the  desire  for  them,  and  at 
the  same  time  he  sought  in  every  way  to  improve  their  temporal 
condition,  teaching  them  to  make  roads,  build  cottages,  raise 
crops,  etc. :  still  they  were  extremely  poor,  and  destitute  of  the 
word  of  God.  He  therefore,  at  Basle,  at  great  expense,  procured 
three  copies  of  the  French  Bible,  from  which  purchase  ensued 
most  gratifying  results.  Three  poor  villagers,  to  whom  they 
were  given,  being  devoted  Bible-missionaries,  went  from  cottage 
to  cottage  to  read  to  the  inmates  the  sacred  volume,  lending  it  to 
one  for  a  day,  to  another  for  a  shorter  period,  every  time  that  a 
desire  for  such  loan  was  manifested.  These  were  indeed  colpor- 
teurs, whose  labours  were  only  stopped  by  the  wearing  out  of  the 
three  copies,  passing,  as  they  did,  through  so  many  hands  little 
used  to  take  care  of  books. 

Then  Pastor  Oberlin  heard  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society,  and  begged  its  help  in  his  work :  to  him  the  committee 
mad'e  their  first  grant  in  favour  of  France,  of  20/.  His  letter, 
describing  the  three  devoted  women  to  whom  he  meant  to  give 
the  first  new  Bibles,  is  preserved  among  its  records.  Sophia 
Bernard, — who  had  undertaken  the  support  and  education  of 
three  helpless  boys,   whom  their  wicked  father  often   tramplfd 


THE    PASTOR    OBERLIN.  237 


under  his  feet,  when,  starving  with  hunger,  they  dared  to  cry  for 
food,  and  who  had  likewise  saved  the  lives  of  four  Roman  Catholic 
children,  a  prey  to  want  and  fimiine,  supporting  all  seven  by  the 
labour  of  her  own  hands,  and  bringing  up  these  poor  children  in 
the  most  careful  and  excellent  manner, — was  to  have  a  new  Bible, 
considering  that  her  own  was  so  often  lent  out  in  different  Roman 
Catholic,  villages. 

A  second  was  to  be  given  to  Maria  Schepler,  who  lived  in  a 
part  of  the  parish  where  all  the  people  were  so  poor  that  they 
were  obliged  to  lend  their  clothes  to  each  other,  when  they  at-^ 
tended  the  communion.  Maria  was  mother,  benefactress,  and 
teacher,  to  the  whole  village  where  she  lived,  and  also  to  neigh- 
bouring districts;  she,  too,  brought  up  orphans,  kept  a  school  for 
them,  and  was  always  lending  her  Bible  to  those  who  were  desti- 
tute of  it. 

The  third  Bible  was  to  be  given  to  Catherine  Scheiddegger, 
another  mother  to  orphans,  and  teacher  of  the  poor:  '^and  the 
eyes  of  all  of  them,"  said  Oberlin,  ^^will  overflow  with  grateful 
tears,  if  they  are  favoured  with  the  present  of  a  Bible." 

It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  the  active  benevolence  of  thousands 
of  the  ladies  of  England,  as  well  as  in  France  and  other  coun- 
tiies,  in  promoting  the  interests  of  the  society  during  the  last 
half  century,  may  be  said  to  have  derived  its  origin  from  the 
humble  efforts  of  these  poor  women  in  the  Ban  de  la  Roche. 
This  was  the  small  rivulet  among  the  mountains  that  has  given 
rise  to  the  majestic  river. 

Mr.  Owen  visited  M.  Oberlin's  parish  in  1818,  and  saw  '^two* 
of  these  interesting  peasants, — the  other  had  been  removed  to 
her  rest.  He  told  them  that  he  felt  as  if  he  had  known  them 
for  nearly  fourteen  years,  and  that  they  had  stirred  up  the  zeal 
of  many  to  labour  after  their  example.  '  Oh,  sir !'  said  Sophia 
Bernard,  4his  does  indeed  humble  us;'  adding  many  remarks  in 
relation  to  their  obscurity,  the  imp3rfecti9n  of  their  works,  and 
the  honour  they  considered  it  to  libour  for  Him  who  had  done 
every  thing  for  them." 

From  the  first  year  of  the  <\s!;'.b]ishmcnt  of  the  British   and 


238  THE   BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


Foreign  I>ible  Society,  Pastor  Oberlin,  his  son  Henry,  and  M. 
Legrand,  formed  a  small  committee  in  the  parish  of  Waldbach, 
which  became  a  central  point  for  scattering  the  Scriptures 
throughout  France;  and  more  than  10,000  Bibles  and  Testa- 
ments were  circulated  throughout  that  country  before  the  Paris 
Bible  Society  was  formed.  During  a  journey  in  the  south  of 
France,  in  1815,  for  that  Society,  the  excellent  Henry  Oberlin 
caught  a  severe  cold,  in  assisting  to  extinguish  a  fire  in  some 
town;  and,  returning  to  the  Ban  de  la  Roche,  died  of  consump- 
tion, amid  the  regrets  of  his  friends  and  neighbours. 


At  Nuremberg,  also,  an  imperial  city  of  Germany,  a  Bible 
Society  was  formed,  in  1814,  to  co-operate  with  that  in  London, 
to  which  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  presented  lOOZ., 
to  enable  it  immediately  to  print  5000  German  Testaments,  selling 
them  at  fivepence  each.  This  auxiliary  proved  "the  cradle  of 
our  continental  greatness.'' 

It  is  very  interesting  to  refer  back  to  these  small  beginnings  of 
the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  itself,  and  to  the  rise  of  its 
first  tributary  streams.  The  number  of  these  steadily  and  rapidly 
increased ;  for  the  secretaries  made  it  their  chief  business,  in  its 
early  days,  to  obtain  all  the  information  they  could,  respecting  the 
want  of  the  Scriptures  in  every  part  of  the  world. 

But  it  was  now  a  time  of  ivar  all  over  Europe — a  time  which 
may  be  distinctly  remembered  by  some  of  the  parents  of  our  young 
friends,  but  which  they,  the  children  of  an  almost  forty  years* 
peace,  have  little  power  to  realize. 

Great  Britain,  from  her  immense  resources,  was  universally 
allowed  to  be  the  arbiter  of  nations,  and  the  most  powerful  of 
kingdoms ;  and  after  the  peace  of  Amiens  in  1802,  was  engaged 
in  hostilities  against  the  power  of  Napoleon. 

Among  the  French  and  Spanish  prisoners  of  war,  the  Bible 
Society  occupied  itself  in  distributing  the  Scriptures  in  their  native 
^inguages.  They  directed  2000  Spanish  Testaments  to  be  printed, 
and  expended  100?.  upon  the  purchase  of  Testaments  in  French, 


PRISONERS    OF    WAR.  239 


preparing,  meanwliile,  a  stereotype  edition  of  the  latter.  It  ap* 
peared,  that  out  of  a  number  of  5000  French  prisoners  at  Ply- 
mouth, nearly  half  were  able  to  read,  and  out  of  1700  Spanish, 
800.  A  correspondent  says,  "  Many  sought  the  books  with  tears 
and  entreaties,  and  received  the  words  of  eternal  life ;  since  which, 
I  have  witnessed  the  most  pleasing  sight  that  my  eyes  ever  beheld 
— nearly  one  thousand  poor  prisoners  sitting  round  the  prison-walls, 
reading  the  word  of  God,  with  an  apparent  eagerness  that  would 
have  put  many  professing  Christians  to  the  blush." 

From  time  to  time,  exchange  of  prisoners  was  made,  and  thus 
the  word  of  Grod  crossed  the  water,  with  the  returning  soldiera. 
Several  of  these  stray  Bibles  were  known  to  have  led  to  the 
foundation  of  Protestant  churches ;  and  some  of  the  present  col- 
porteurs have  been  powerfully  aided  in  their  mission  by  men  who 
were  formerly  prisoners  of  war  in  England. 

Besides  making  this  happy  use  of  the  quarrels  of  nations,  the 
society  continued  to  avail  itself  of  every  possible  point  of  access 
to  the  continent,  and  to  aid  every  association  established  abroad, 
to  sell  the  Scriptures  in  their  own  lands,  at  reduced  prices. 


The  foundation  of  a  Bible  Society  was  laid  at  Berlin,  in  1806, 
and  received  the  sanction  of  his  majesty  the  King  of  Prussia.  To 
this  institution,  as  to  that  of  Nuremberg,  100/.  was  voted  by  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society. 


If  this  was  the  field  of  labour  that  lay  before  the  society  in 
Europe,  when  it  passed  over  to  Asia  it  beheld  almost  the  whole 
of  that  wide  continent  yet  to  be  possessed.  Its  first  attention  was 
drawn  toward  China,  by  the  notice  of  a  manuscript,  in  Chinese, 
existing  in  the  British  Museum,  of  the  chief  part  of  the  New 
Testament,  which  it  was  at  first  proposed  that  the  society  should 
print,  with  the  view  of  circulating  it  among  360  millions  of  people. 
It  was  found,  however,  that  owing  to  the  intricacy  of  the  Chinese 
characters,  this  could  only  be  done  at  the  expense  of  two  guineas 


240  THE    BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


each  volume,  and  the  intention  was  relinquished  until  a  future 
day.  In  the  mean  time,  the  indefatigable  Dr.  Morrison  went  to 
work  in  his  cellar,  at  Canton,  on  a  fresh  translation,  to  which, 
however,  the  former  was  of  some  service. 

As  we  have  before  observed,  God  provided  men  for  the  secreta- 
ries, just  such  he  needed;  and  now  he  provided  suitable  men  for 
translators,  or  rather  for  the  foundation  of  the  work  of  translation ; 
for  that,  during  the  last  half  century,  has  in  every  version  made 
progress  hy  decrees  toward  perfection. 

When  Carey,  Marshman,  and  Ward  sat  down  to  render  the 
word  of  God  into  the  jQfteen  polished  languages  of  India,  with  its 
millions  of  souls,  that  word  existed  only  in  the  Tamil,  the  transla- 
tion of  Schultze,  the  missionary  of  the  Society  for  Promoting 
Christian  Knowledge.  The  important  territory  in  which  the 
Tamil  is  spoken  includes  Madras,  Tanjore,  Trichinopoly,  Madura, 
Tiunevelly,  and  Coimbatoor.  It  came  under  Bntish  government 
in  the  year  1801,  and  the  inhabitants  have  been  estimated  at  more 
than  six  millions.  They  are  chiefly  Hindus  of  the  Brahminical 
sect. 

The  scarcity  of  the  Scriptui'es  in  the  Tamil  country  was  first 
pressed  upon  the  notice  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
by  Dr.  Buchanan,  in  1806.  He  speaks  of  ten  or  twelve  thousand 
Protestant  Christians,  of  whom  not  one  in  a  hundred  had  a  New 
Testament.  In  consequence,  the  committee  bought  up  all  the 
copies  of  the  Tamil  Scriptures  that  could  be  obtained,  and  sent 
them  to  Tanjore  in  1810,  where  they  were  received  with  the 
most  lively  gratitude. 

The  spirit  in  which  the  society's  liberal  grants  of  help  to  the 
missionaries  and  translators  in  India  were  made,  is  shown  by  the 
letter  they  wrote  to  accompany  the  gift :  "  The  committee  would 
by  no  means  have  you  understand,  that  their  design  of  aiding  you 
in  your  glorious  work  is  ended  with  these  donations :  on  the  con- 
trar}^,  they  consider  your  undertaking  as  vast  and  progressive,  and 
are  determined  to  sustain  you  in  it,  to  the  utmost  of  their  ability, 
by  liberal  and  successive  supplies."  This  was  a  letter  written  in 
1810. 


THE    SCRIPTURES    IN    AMERICA.  2ilf 


Meanwhile,  over  tlie  islands  of  the  Pacific  and  the  Indian 
Archipelago  lay  the  vail  of  deep  darkness.  The  state  of  Africa 
was  that  of  unexplored  ignorance,  except  that  here  and  there  the 
margin  of  the  south  was  illumined  by  Bibles  from  Holland ;  but 
for  the  interior  there  was  no  Bible. 

The  only  region  upon  which  the  light  of  revelation  could  be 
said  in  any  degree  to  shine  was  the  northern  line,"  where  Arabic 
is  spoken ;  for,  although  versions  of  the  Coptic  and  Ethiopic  had, 
as  we  have  seen,  in  early  times  been  made,  yet  by  the  mass  of  the 
people  they  were  neither  read  nor  understood. 


America,  in  her  northern  regions,  fared  more  generously :  the 
solonies  of  England  were  partially  supplied.  The  Bible  consti- 
tuted the  inheritance  of  the  magnificent  Union  of  the  States  :  the 
pilgrim  fathers  had  conveyed  it  in  the  "  Mayflower,"  in  the  year 
1620 ;  Oglethorpe  bore  it  to  Georgia,  and  thus  it  was  embalmed 
in  the  memory  of  his  people.  Captain  Norton,  a  chief  of  six  na- 
tions of  Indians  in  Upper  Canada,  translated  the  Gospel  of  John, 
into  the  Mohawk  dialect — the  current  language  of  those  six  nations 
— and,  in  the  first  year  of  its  existence,  the  Bible  Society  printed 
2000  copies  of  this  Gospel,  for  circulation  in  Canada.  John 
Eliot's  version  of  the  New  Testament,  in  the  Virginian  language, 
had  been  circulated  in  Massachusetts,  in  1661,  also  to  the  number 
of  2000  copies;  but  in  Mexico,  the  western  isles,  and  the  king- 
doms of  the  southern  hemisphere,  although  the  people  were  called 
Christians,  and  acknowledged  a  belief  in  revelation,  few  had  ever 
seen  a  Bible. 


Such  was  the  "  immense  range"  on  which  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society  looked  forth  in  the  year  1807;  and, 
measuring,  as  they  say,  from  north  to  south  from  Iceland  to  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  or  from  east  to  west  from  Hindustan  to 
Buenos  Ayres,  (China  was  not  then  open  to  the  Bible,)  "  they 
saw  no  other  limits  to  the  beneficial  operation  of  this  institution, 

21 


242  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


than  that  which  their  funds  might  prescribe ;  but  they  indulged 
the  animating  h  )pe,  that,  by  the  progressive  efforts  of  the  society, 
in  circulating  the  Holy  Scriptures,  '  the  earth  shall  be  filled  with 
the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  as  the  waters  cover  the 
sea  ' ''     (Hab.  ii.  14.) 


CHAPTER  in. 

The  Bibk  Society's  "  Reports"  not  dull  Books  :  What  it  is  that  they  contain — 
The  Sway  of  Great  Britain  and  its  Purpose — The  World's  Inhabitants,  in 
Five  Divisions — The  Work  of  the  Bible  Society  among  each — The  Way  it  is 
accomplished,  by  division  of  Labour,  and  by  various  Agents — The  Bible  So- 
ciety like  the  Banian  Tree — Its  Fibres  taking  root  in  the  Protestant  Countries, 
first  in  England,  by  the  Bible  Associations  and  Auxiliaries — The  System 
gradually  matured — Division  of  I)istricts — Ladies'  Committee — The  System 
of  Co-operation — Objections  to  the  Society — Lord  Teignmouth's  Answer — 
Mr.  Dealtry's — Mr.  Ward's — Operations  at  Home — Extracts  from  Reports  of 
Collectors— The  Dying  Child— The  Old  Woman  and  the  Wool— The  Bible 
Bees — The  Gun  and  the  Bible — Mr.  Dudley's  Review — The  Death  of  Mr. 
Owen — Distribution  of  the  Scriptures  in  Ireland — Anecdotes. 

It  is  by  no  means  easy  to  arrange  and  condense  the  mass  of 
information  which  we  wish  to  convey  to  your  minds,  concerning 
the  rise  and  progress  of  this  most  magnificent  of  societies. 

You  are  not  likely  to  read  through  sixteen  volumes  of  "  Re- 
ports,'^ five  of  "  Monthly  Extracts"  from  the  correspondence  of 
the  society,  Mr.  Owen's  three  volumes  of  its  History,  and  Mr. 
Dudley's  admirable  Analysis  of  its  system.  It  is  possible,  that, 
in  glancing  at  them  in  your  fathers'  libraries,  you  may  have  even 
thought  them  "  dull  books,"  or  at  least  books  which  it  did  not 
concern  you  to  examine;  nevertheless,  we  shall  try  and  make 
you  wish  to  read  them. 

These  books  contain  in  truthful  detail  the  history  of  the  pro-^ 
gress  of  Grod's  word  through  the  world — of  the  uttering  of  hia 
voice  to  all  the  earth.     It  is  uttered  in  more  majestic  (because 
ic  more  perfected)  form  than  it  was  to  Israel  at   Sinai.     The 


GREAT   BRITAIN'S    SWAY,    AND    ITS    PljRPOSE.  243 


whole  Bible  is  ours,  '^upon  whom  the  ends  of  the  world  are 
come.''  We  have  not  only  a  Pentateuch,  but  a  New  Testament; 
and  "  freely  as  we  have  received,  freely  we  should  give/' 

We  are  not  as  the  Jews  were — simply  the  early  guardians  of 
the  oracles  of  God,  but  we  are  their  dispensers  to  all  the  earth. 
For  this  God  has  raised  Great  Britain  to  her  pre-eminence 
among  the  nations;  for  this  has  he  placed  under  her  island 
sway  vast  continents  and  distant  climes,  and  has  given  her  a 
dominion  so  extraordinary,  that,  as  we  trace  its  boundaries,  its 
extent  seems  scarcely  to  be  credible. 

The  population  of  the  British  Isles  alone  is  greater  than  that 
of  Spain,  Portugal,  Sweden,  and  Norway,  added  together ;  and 
besides  her  home  empire,  England  holds,  in  Uiirojje,  the  Chan- 
nel Isles,  Gibraltar,  Malta,  and  the  Ionian  Isles. 

In  America,  her  possessions  are  Upper  and  Lower  Canada,  a 
territory  larger  than  France  and  Spain ;  New  Brunswick,  larger 
than  Scotland ;  Nova  Scotia,  Prince  Edward's  Island,  and  New- 
foundland, comprehending  together  as  great  a  space  as  England 
and  Wales ;  with  the  Hudson's  Bay  territory,  extending  to  the 
pole ;  thirteen  islands  in  the  West  Indies,  with  the  Bermudas, 
the  Bahamas,  and  the  Virgin  Isles ;  Honduras,  larger  than  Hol- 
land;  and  British  Guiana,  the  size  of  Wales. 

In  Africa,  Sierra  Leone,  in  whose  capital.  Free-town,  she 
has  a  community  of  50,000  freed  slaves.  Cape  Coast  Castle, 
and  the  adjacent  settlements;  the  islands  of  Ascension  and  of 
St.  Helena ;  Port  Natal,  and  the  Cape  Colony,  (equal  in  extent 
to  France,  and  with  a  climate  similar  to  that  of  Spain,)  to  which 
she  has  lately  given  a  free  constitution. 

In  Asia,  the  Mauritius ;  with  other  isles  in  the  Indian  Ocean ; 
Ceylon,  the  isle  of  palms,  of  spices,  and  of  pearls,  nearly  equal 
in  size  to  Scotland ;  and  India — a  kingdom  including  448,000 
square  miles,  yielding  a  revenue  exceeding  the  revenue  of  all  the 
Russias,  and  whose  governor-general  has  at  his  command  an 
army  of  300,000  men. 

Farther  India,  likewise,  with  its  divisions  of  Malacca  and  Sin- 
gapore; Penang;  ani  Hong   Kong,  in  China;  with  Australia. 


244  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


the  island  continent,  only  to  be  compared  in  space  with  three- 
fifths  of  Europe;  Yan  Piemen's  Land,  as  large  as  Ireland;  and 
New  Zealand,  nearly  the  size  of  Great  Britain  itself. 

The  Rev.  Wm.  Arthur,  formerly  a  missionary  in  India,  who 
has  given  a  picture  of  this  vast  extent  of  power,  in  a  lecture  de- 
livered to  the  young  men  of  London,  observes,  that  "  our  Queen 
reigns  over  more  Roman  Catholics  than  the  Pope,  over  more 
Mohammedans  than  the  Sublime  Porte,  and  over  more  Pagans 
than  there  are  in  the  whole  continent  of  Africa !" 

Now,  it  is  for  God's  word's  sake  that  Great  Britain  has  been 
thus  made  the  mistress  of  the  world.  Her  people  read  with  glowing 
hearts  of  her  possessions  and  her  conquests,  often  gained  with 
comparatively  little  bloodshed,  and  as  it  were  ceded  to  her  ac- 
knowledged right,  and  feel  the  pride  of  Britons  that  they  were 
born  under  her  temperate  and  changeful  skies.  And  can  we 
possibly  think  the  history  of  her  noblest  deeds,  which  these 
Bible  Reports  record,  dull  and  unworthy  to  be  read  ?  Surely 
those  who  read  and  love  the  Bible — those  to  whose  hearts  it  has 
effectually  revealed  its  tidings  of  great  joy,  and  its  solace  in  the 
hour  of  sorrow — those  in  whose  homes  it  is  the  law  of  love,  and 
the  rule  of  faith  and  practice — 7ni(st  care  to  know  the  history  of 
that  noble  society  whose  object  it  is  not  only  to  distribute  this 
Bible  in  every  country  of  the  world,  but  to  put  it  into  the  hands 
of  every  human-  being. 

You  will  look  with  reverence  on  a  ''  Bible  Report,''  as  it  is 
called,  if  you  are  pi-epared  to  understand  it — if  you  have  in  your 
mind's  eye  that  portion  of  the  earth,  the  wide  continent,  or  the 
smiling  island,  to  which- the  word  of  God  has  been  carried  in  its 
own  language,  whether  for  the  first  time,  or  in  repeated  abun- 
dance, and  if  you  know  what  has  been  the  need  of  the  word 
there,  which  called  for  that  supply — if  you  could  see,  also,  the 
change  which  the  reception  of  that  word  has  produced,  and,  if  it 
were  a  heathen  country,  the  moral  conduct,  the  upright  dealing, 
the  purer  manners,  and  the  decorous  dress,  which,  as  experience 
testifies,  are  "  sure  to  follow,  wherever  the  reading  of  the  Bible 
becomes  general." 


THE    WORK    OF   THE   BIBLE    SOCIETY.  245 


In  order,  therefore,  to  assist  your  memories,  we  shall  divide 
the  world  into  separate  regions,  not  according  to  their  geographi- 
cal order,  but  according  to  the  general  religious  belief  of  their 
several  inhabitants,  and  survey  the  proceedings  of  the  Bible  So- 
ciety within  each  range. 

"We  must  have  five  divisions — 

1.  The  Protestant  countries 

2.  The  Jews,  and  remnants  of  ancient  Christian 
Churches. 

3.  Those  where  the  Roman  Catholic  religion  and  the 
Greek  Church  prevail. 

4.  The  Mohammedan  countries. 

5.  The  Heathen  or  Pagan  countries. 

What  has  been  the  work  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  So- 
ciety in  each  of  these  ?  And  in  what  way,  and  by  whom,  was 
it  accomplished  ?     We  must  answer  the  latter  question  first. 

It  has  been  accomplished  upon  the  principle  of  division  of 
labour.  Fifty  persons,  as  you  have  seen,  are  employed  upon  the 
mere  paper  and  printing,  and  binding  of  a  Bible.  When  the 
Book  is  in  existence,  as  a  book,  it  is  scattered  over  the  world  by 
various  agents. 

Many  laborious  servants  of  the  society  join  to  spread  it  abroad : 
— the  missionary,  in  his  exile  from  his  friends  and  country,  his 
own  heart  cheered  by  the  Book,  and  his  hand  distributing  it 
wherever  he  goes ;  the  travelling  agent,  "  plying  his  unwearied 
round  of  visits,"  often  amid  those  who  care  but  little  to  receive 
them,  but  often  also  where  he  is  warmly  welcomed  and  encou- 
raged;— the  depositary  and  accountant,  with  their  assistants, 
working  at  their  desks  with  tireless  zeal  and  fidelity  for  a  long 
term  of  years ;  the  invaluable  secretaries,  carrying  on  the  corre- 
spondence with  all  nations ;  the  translators,  who,  in  the  land 
where  the  language  is  spoken,  sit  down  to  create  first,  perhaps, 
its  grammar  and  its  dictionary,  nay,  its  very  letters,  before  they  can 
approach  their  noble  task  itself;  then  the  colporteur,  in  various 
countries  and  in  all  weathers,  exposed  to  numerous  difficulties^ 
and  hardships,  sometimes  received  with  welcome,  it  is  true,  bat 

21* 


246 


THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY 


at  otlers  with  unkindness,  and  even  menace,  and  sometimes 
subject  to  slanderous  accusations  and  unjust  imprisonment;  then 
there  are  the  unpaid  collectors,  the  life-blood  of  the  society,  who 
also,  for  the  true  love  of  the  work,  engage  in  their  weekly 
rounds,  unnoticed  save  by  Him  for  whose  sake  they  labour.  It 
is  by  all  these  that  the  seed  is  scattered ;  ''  the  seed  is  the 
word,'^  and  "  the  field  is  the  world/' 

It  is  to  the  persevering  labours  of  all  these,  as  the  Earl  of 
Carlisle  told  us  at  the  late  memorable  Jubilee  meeting,  that  the 
nations  owe  their  8000  Bible  Societies,  their  Bibles  in  148  lan- 
guages, and  their  forty-six  millions  of  copies — the  fruit  of  the 
first  half  century  of  the  existence  of  the  Bible  Society.  Well 
might  Mr.  Dudley  once  compare  it  to  ^'  the  sacred  tree  of  India,* 
bending  its  branches  to  the  earth,  whence  they  again  sprang 
forth,  and  extended  their  refreshing  shade  throughout  the  land,'' 

He  meant  the  banian  tree,  the  Jicus  Indica,  whose  nature  it 
is  to  cover  with  its  branches  a  space  sufficient  to  shelter  a  regi- 


The  Banian  Tree. 


*See  Dudley's  "Analysis,"  p.  135. 


ENGLAND.  247 


ment  of  cavalry,  and  which  is  often  used  as  a  natural  canopy  for 
great  assemblies.  It  was  at  an  encampment  under  one  of  these 
trees,  on  the  river  feutlej,  that  Runjeet  Singh,  the  robber  chief, 
compelled  Shah  Sujah,  the  representative  of  a  race  of  kings,  to 
yield  up  to  him  the  Koh-i-noor,  that  jewel  which  was  the  object 
of  his  insatiate  ambition.  It  is  said,  that,  for  a  whole  hour,  the 
exiled  monarch  gazed  on  Runjeet  Singh,  without  speaking,  who, 
still  unmoved  by  this  mute  eloquence,  insisted  on  his  demand. 

The  branches  spread  to  a  great  extent,  dropping  their  fibres 
here  and  there,  which  take  root  as  soon  as  they  reach  the  ground, 
and  rapidly  increase  in  size,  till  they  rival  the  parent  trunk,  and 
cover  a  quantity  of  ground  almost  incredible.  Reinwardt  says, 
that  he  observed,  on  the  island  of  Semao,  in  the  Indian  Archi- 
pelago, a  large  wood,  whose  trunks  all  proceeded  from  the  stem 
of  a  single  ficus,  united  with  each  other  by  their  branches. 

The  Bible  Society  may  well  be  likened  to  this  tree  !  Let  us 
see  how  its  fibres  took  root  in  the  Protestant  countries  of  the 
world,  during  the  first  twenty-five  yeai-s  of  its  existence — in 
England,  Scotland,  Ireland,  Holland,  half  of  Get-many,  three- 
fifths  of  Prussia,  three-fifths  of  Switzerland,  Sweden,  Norway, 
Denmark,  and  Iceland,  in  the  United  States  of  America,  in 
Canada,  and  also  in  the  West  Indian  Islands,  subject  to  Dutch 
and  Danish,  Swedish  and  British  sway. 

ENGLAND. 

During  the  first  year  of  the  Society ,  there  were  no  Bibles 
issued — the  printers  being  unable  to  complete  their  work.  They 
did  not  then  print  by  steam-presses.  Stereotype  plates  were,  at 
this  time,  made  for  the  English  Testament  -,  and  its  circulation 
was  effected,  at  first,  very  much  by  the  agency  of  individuals, 
and  by  Sunday-schools,  as  also  by  grants  to  the  Naval  and  Mili- 
tary Bible  Society,  for  the  benefit  of  soldiers  and  sailors. 

As  its  Reports  became  public,  its  sphere  of  usefulness  in- 
creased. The  production  of  the  first  supply  of  Welsh  and  Gaelic 
Scriptures,  ami  their  reception,  have  already  been  noticed.     Some 


248  THE  BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


Bibles  and  Testaments  were  also  provided  at  low  prices  for  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Isle  of  Man ;  and  two  years  after  its  forma- 
tion, i.  e.  in  1806,  Its  first  fibre  took  root,  and  the  committee 
acknowledged  a  donation  from  an  association  of  young  men  in 
London,  formed  for  the  purpose  of  contributing  to  its  funds.  In 
the  same  year  a  similar  contribution  was  received  from  the  town 
of  Birmingham,  where  a  Bible  Association  had  been  formed ; 
and  these  voluntary  associations,  Mr,  Owen  says,  ^^  contained  the 
rudiments  of  AuxiHary  Bible  Societies.'' 

In  the  same  year,  and  in  1807,  further  associations  were 
established  at  Bath,  Glasgow,  and  Greenock,  which  proposed  to 
receive  small  monthly  subscriptions ;  and  thus,  by  collective 
additions,  the  Parent  Society,  in  its  third  year,  told  of  an  in- 
crease of  300/.  in  its  annual  subscriptions,  while  more  than  1000/. 
came  in  from  Wales,  and  4000/.  from  Scotland.  During  the 
same  year,  also,  a  lady  added  a  bequest  of  1000  guineas,  side  by 
side  with  which  appears  the  contribution  of  18/.  from  the  children 
and  teachers  of  the  Holborn  Sunday-school.  It  is  a  memorable 
fact,  that  Juvenile  Bible  Associations  constituted  the  earliest 
auxiliaries  or  helps  to  the  Parent  Institution,  and  have  continued 
to  the  present  day  to  pour  their  small  but  unfailing  rills  into  that 
mighty  river  by  which  all  the  nations  are  refreshed. 

But  it  was  reserved  for  the  town  of  Reading,  in  Berkshire,  to 
give  to  Great  Britain  and  the  world  the  first  example  of  a  regular 
Auxiliary  Bible  Society.  Dr.  Valpy,  well  known  to  many 
by  his  ''  Latin  Grammar,"  was  also  an  earnest  and  early  friend 
of  the  Bible  Society.  He  first  preached  in  its  behalf,  and  de- 
clared its  object ;  and  then,  with  other  gentlemen,  convened  a 
meeting  in  the  town-hall,  under  the  sanction  of  the  mayor,  on 
the  28th  of  March,  1809,  at  which  meeting  it  was  determined  to 
adopt,  as  far  as  possible,  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Parent 
Society. 

Now  this  auxiliary  had  in  view  two  principal  objects — one  to 
collect  subscriptions  (as  the  former  associations  had  done)  In  aid 
of  the  general  funds ;  and  the  other,  with  half  the  money  it 
should  collect^  to   purchase   Bibles   and   Testaments  from  tha 


THE    AUXILIARY    SYSTEM.  249 


Parent  Society,  to  be  distributed  in  its  own  town  and  neigh- 
bourliood.  After  the  example  of  the  Parent  Society,  it  appointed 
a  clergyman,  a  dissenting  minister,  and  a  layman,  for  its  secre- 
taries. 

The  year  ending  in  May,  1810,  saw  the  establishment  of  ten 
societies  like  this  in  England,  and  three  in  Scotland.  But  the 
system  was  not  yet  perfect;  they  had  not  determined  on  the  way 
to  find  out  the  want  of  the  Bible  among  the  poor  of  their  own 
neighbourhoods ;  and  Mr.  Richard  Phillips,  who,  in  1810,  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Parent  committee,  was  the  first  to  point 
out  the  extent  of  usefulness  to  which  this  auxiliary  system  was 
capable  of  being  applied. 

According  to  the  plans  which  he  proposed  and  published,  and 
which  were  adopted  by  the  society  as  their  own,  the  respective 
auxiliary  committees  were  recommended  (for  the  Parent  Institu- 
tion assumes  no  control  over  its  dependent  societies)  to  pursue  the 
orderly  and  effective  way  of  raising  subscnptions,  by  dividing 
their  town  or  neighbourhood  into  districts,  and  appointing  two  or 
more  of  their  members  as  visitors  in  each,  to  make  minute  and 
personal  inquiries  among  the  habitations  of  the  poor,  and  en- 
courage the  sale  of  Bibles  among  them,  at  cost  or  reduced  prices, 
in  preference  to  absolute  gift. 

The  calls  upon  the  licher  part  of  the  population  were  to  be 
made  in  the  same  way,  with  a  request  for  their  support  and  appro- 
bation. A  meeting  of  the  committee  was  to  be  held  every  month, 
and  a  general  and  public  meeting  every  year. 

To  every  auxiliary  of  this  kind  might  be  attached,  if  it  em- 
braced a  wide  sphere  of  labour,  twelve  or  more  Bible  Associations, 
to  be  carried  on  by  the  same  rules  and  regulations. 

The  Southwark  Auxiliary  Bible  Society,  established  in  1812, 
afforded  a  fair  example  of  the  working  of  the  system,  which 
speedily  extended  itself  over  the  kingdom  of  Great  Britain.  The 
members  of  the  twelve  associations  connected  with  tl  is  auxiliary 
met  monthly,  each  in  their  own  committee,  transacted  their  busi- 
ness, and  passed  over  their  collections  to  the  auxiliary  society, 
vhich  again  passed  them  to  the  Parent  committee 


250  THE    BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


For  two  years  and  a  half  these  twelve  committees,  all  composed 
of  gentlemen,  were  in  full  operation,  and  the  results  were  very 
cheering.  Many  thousand  Bibles  and  Testaments  were  distri- 
buted, and  4600Z.  was  remitted  to  the  auxiliary  society.  -Still, 
various  cases  occurred  in  which  subscriptions  could  only  be  suita- 
bly solicited  from  females,  by  members  of  their  own  sex,  and  the 
consequent  formation  of  ladies'  associations,  in  Southwark,  com- 
pleted the  efficiency  of  that  valuable  auxiliary. 

Twelve  committees  of  ladies  then  met,  and  conducted  their  own 
business,  passing  over  the  proceeds  of  their  collections  to  the  trea- 
surer of  the  gentlemen's  committee,  and  these  again  to  the  auxi- 
liary, which,  thus  receiving  twenty -four  constant  tributary  streams, 
not  only  distributed  large  numbers  of  Bibles  and  Testaments  in 
its  own  neighbourhood,  but  added  greatly  to  the  funds  of  the 
Parent  Society. 

In  Great  Britain  there  are  now  445  of  these  auxiliaries,  with 
2825  branches  and  associations ;  therefore  if  you  have  had  patience 
to  follow  the  business-detail  of  the  last  two  or  three  pages,  and  if 
you  have  gained  an  idea  of  the  system  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society,  as  carried  out  in  one  place,  you  have  only  to  multi- 
ply this  idea  in  your  mind,  and  conceive  of  thousands  of  such  as- 
sociations at  work,  every  week  and  every  month,  in  many  parts 
of  the  world. 


The  establishment  of  the  ladies'  associations  in  Solithwark,  in 
1814,  brings  us  to  the  beginning  of  those  times  of  peace  which 
have  happily  endured  ever  since  in  England. 

The  machinery  of  the  society  was  now  perfect,  and  it  has  con- 
tinuea  co  act  on  the  same  principle  and  system  ever  since. 

Amid  the  calamities  of  an  expensive  war,  its  constitution  had 
been  tbus  far  matured,  and  its  treasury  supplied.  Among  con- 
victs at  Portsmouth,  felons  in  Newgate,  and  to  all  jails,  hospitals, 
workhouses,  and  hulks,  its  gifts  had  been  abundant. 

Meanwhile,  you  wou.  i  scarcely  believe  it,  but  this  society  had 
enemies, — men  who,  haidly  knowing  what  they  did,  misunder- 


AN   AMUSING   TABLE.  251 


stood  and  maligned  it.  Some  earnest  friends  of  the  venerable 
and  excellent  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge,  which, 
as  we  have  seen,  had  circulated  and  translated  Bibles  as  fajr  as  its 
funds  would  allow,  conceived  that  the  Bible  Society  interfered 
with  its  province,  and  diminished  its  income.  This  society  waa 
supported,  and  still  is,  entirely  by  members  of  the  Church  of 
England. 

To  this,  Lord  Teignmouth,  an  attached  member  of  that  church, 
and  also  the  president  of  the  committee  in  Earl-street,  replied, 
that  ''  he  was  informed,  and  he  believed  most  correctly,  that  the 
annual  amount  of  subscriptions  to  the  Society  for  Promoting 
Christian  Knowledge  had  considerably  increased  since  the  esta- 
blishment of  the  Bible  Society;"  and  the  Bev.  W.  Dealtry,  M.A., 
Fellow  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge,  in  the  form  of  an  amusing 
fiible  on  the  subject,  strongly  recommended  a  good  understanding 
between  the  two  societies. 

"  Once  upon  a  time,"  said  he,  '•'•  in  the  midst  of  a  parched  and 
dreary  land,  there  gushed  from  the  top  of  a  mountain  a  fine  spring 
of  water :  the  wilderness  was  converted  into  a  garden,  where  it 
flowed,  and  verdure  was  the  sure  companion  of  its  progress. 

'■'■  After  some  time,  a  similar  stream  began  to  flow  from  the 
summit  of  a  neighbouring  hill.  It  became  the  parent  of  many 
branching  rivulets,  which  cheered  the  face  of  nature  on  every 
side,  and  carried  happiness  and  abundance  into  the  remotest 
lands. 

"The  good  old  stream  was  a  little  touched  with  jealousy,  and 
addressed  its  neighbour  in  the  following  terms :  '■  Do  you  not 
know  that  you  are  intruding  into  a  country  which  I  have  pre- 
occupied, and  that  you  and  your  rivulets  interfere  with,  impede. 
and  curtail  the  inestimable  benefits  of  grass  and  green  fields  which 
I  have  so  happily  promoted  V 

"  <  Why,'  said'  the  other,  <■  how  can  that  be  ?  Are  not  my 
streams  as  pure  as  your  own,  and  does  not  the  desert  smile  like- 
wise wherever  I  go  V 

"  ^Your  streams  do  indeed  profess  to  be  pure,  though  I  have 
BometliiDg,  if  I  -•Voose,  to  say  on  that  point;  but  I  insist  upon  it» 


252  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


that  I  am  the  good  old  stream,  and  that  you  are  an  interloper :  I 
should  not  err  much  if  I  called  you  a  thief/ 

"  'A  thief!     Have  I  ever  stolen  any  thing  from  you?' 

"  ^  Yes,  you  have :  it  can  need  no  proof,  that,  if  your  mouth 
were  closed,  some  of  the  water  which  now  courses  along  your 
channels  would,  by  filtration  through  the  mountain,  fall  into 
mine/ 

"  'It  is  certainly  very  possible  that  some  fifteen  or  twenty  drops 
might  have  reached  you  by  this  underground  filtration ;  but  see 
what  a  noble  body  of  water  I  possess,  and  I  employ  the  whole  for 
the  benefit  of  these  parched  and  thirsty  lands !' 

*' '  What  business,  I  ask  you,  have  you  to  flow  at  all  ?  I  existed 
for  ages  before  any  one  thought  of  you ;  and  I  am  by  no  means 
convinced,  notwithstanding  your  imposing  and  devouring  claims, 
that  you  confer  any  benefit  whatever.  Your  very  complexion  is 
ofiensive;  and,  on  the  whole,  you  ofi'er  great  possibilities  of  evil, 
and  are  a  very  shabby  current;  yet,  little  as  I  admire  you,  I 
would  rather  that  you  would  become  a  feeder  to  me,  than  move 
in  this  unauthorized  manner  through  the  world  alone/ 

"  'My  good  friend,  it  is  quite  impossible  :  some  of  my  rivulets 
might  possibly  be  turned  so  as  to  fall  into  your  channel,  but  there 
are  copious  branches,  which,  from  the  nature  of  the  country,  roll 
on  in  other  directions,  and  cannot  by  any  process  be  made  to  com- 
bine with  yours ;  neither,  as  I  believe,  would  you  be  willing  to 
receive  them ;  while,  therefore,  we  carry  cheerfulness  and  delight 
on  every  side,  let  us  be  content  to  pursue  our  own  channels  in 
quietness  and  peace/  " 

Lord  Teignmouth's  assertion,  that  the  first  society  was  bene- 
fited by  the  second,  was  shown  to  be  true,  by  another  clergyman, 
the  Rev.  W.  Ward,  rector  of  Mayland,  near  Colchester.  ''I 
consider  them,"  said  he,  ''not  as  rivals,  but  the  reverse.  I  con- 
sider the  new  as  helpful  to  the  old,  and  that  both  will  promote  a 
more  general  difiusion  of  Christian  knowledge.  The  harvest  is 
great,  and  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  seems  now  to  be  raising  up  a 
great  host  of  labourers  to  reap  it.  The  light  of  the  gospel,  which 
at  present  shines  but  on  a  speck,  as  it  were,  of  the  globe,  is  to  ho 


COMP.\F.ATIVE   ISSUES    OP   THE    SCRIPTURES.  253 


diffused  over  the  face  of  the  whole  earth.  Now,  the  funds  drawn 
exclusively  from  the  members  of  any  one  church,  even  from  the 
Church  of  England  itself",  are  not  sufficient  to  this  general  diffu- 
sion of  the  gospel;  but  the  unlimited  resources  of  the  Bible 
Society,  the  united  contributions,  legacies,  and  donations  of  all 
descriptions  of  Christians,  can  do  wonders — can  absolutely  supply 
the  place  of  miracles  and  the  gift  of  tongues." 

"The  object,"  continues  this  good  man,  "is  so  glorious,  so 
grand,  so  sublime ! — the  scheme  is  so  full  of  the  love  of  God,  the 
love  of  our  country,  and  the  love  of  our  fellow-creatures, — that  it 
should  have  our  last  prayers  when  we  lie  down  at  night,  and  our 
first  when  we  awake  in  the  morning." 

Mr.  Ward  also  showed,  that,  in  1803,  the  year  before  the  Bible 
Society  commenced,  the  subscriptions  to  the  Christian  Knowledge 
Society  were  2119/.,  but  that  in  1809  they  were  3113/. — an  in- 
crease of  above  one-third;  while,  as  to  the  issues  of  Bibles  and 
Testaments,  the  issues  from  the  old  society  alofte  were,  in  1803, 
17,779,  but  in  1809  they  were  22,611;  while  the  sum-total  of 
the  Bibles,  Testaments,  and  Psalters,  circulated  by  both  societies 
in  1809  was  99,883; — more  Bibles,  Testaments,  and  Psalters, 
issued  in  1809  than  in  1800,  eighty-six  thousand!  This  proof 
was  unanswerable. 

The  triumphant  defence  which  the  Bible  Society  had  obtained, 
from  the  exertion  of  these  distinguished  advocates,  contributed 
not  a  little  to  elevate  the  spirits  of  those  on  whom  the  toil  and 
responsibility  of  conducting  its  affairs  devolved;  and  they  turned 
with  renewed  zeal  to  the  field  of  exertion  which  lay  before  them 
in  their  own  country,  and  in  the  wide,  wide  world. 

There  was  still  great  need  of  exertion  at  home.  In  the  county 
of  Flint,  in  a  circle  of  ten  parishes,  1300  families  were  found 
without  a  Bible,  and  similar  investigations  all  over  the  country 
showed  similar  results;  nevertheless,  in  1817,  the  commif-ce 
stated,  that,  as  the  infancy  of  their  society  had  given  promise  of 
a  vigorous  jouth,  so  the  growth  of  thirteen  years  had  amply  con- 
firmed it.  They  looked  round  on  the  pleasing  fruits  of  Christian 
union,  and  attributed  to  Divine  favour  alone,  successes  astonish- 

22 


264  THE    BCOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


ing  in  their  magnitude;  for  they  found  they  had  labourers  for 
every  soil, — coadjutors  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe. 

Such,  indeed,  was  the  interest  which  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society  had  excited,  that  the  prayers  of  thousands  attended 
its  progress,  and  it'^  extinction  would  have  been  felt  as  a  calamity 
all  over  the  world.  The  minute-books  of  the  ladies'  committees, 
whose  members  fin  1  easy  access  to  the  cottages  of  the  poor,  and 
an  earnest  welcome  from  their  inmates,  tell  many  a  touching  tale. 
They  prove  that  collectors  of  Bible  Associations  are  almost  in- 
variably greeted  with  joy,  and  that,  punctual  in  their  weekly 
visits,  they  are  sure  to  find  their  humble  subscribers  ready  with 
their  money,  and  grateful  for  the  trouble  they  take  to  call  for 
subscriptions,  and  bring  the  Bible  to  their  doors. 

Some  say,  ''The  Bibles  delivered  this  month  were  thought 
most  beautiful."  One  woman  exclaimed,  "I  am  sure  I  should 
never  have  had  my  Bible  in  any  other  way;  and  if  I  had  to  come 
to  you,  instead  of  your  coming  to  me,  I  much  fear  I  should  not 
have  begun  yet." 

In  another  district,  a  poor  woman,  showing  signs  of  indifference 
whether  she  possessed  the  Scriptures  or  not,  was  accosted  by  her 
son,  a  little  boy,  who  said,  ''Mother,  if  you  do  not  subscribe  for 
a  Bible,  I  must."  He  thus  persuaded  his  mother  to  pay  her  first 
penny. 

A  subscriber  to  the  Reading  Ladies'  Bible  Association  related 
the  following  incident  to  one  of  the  collectors : — 

"A  few  weeks  ago,  a  young  man  came  to  my  shop,  when  the 
subject  of  the  Bible  Society  was  mentioned.  On  this  his  indigna- 
tion was  immediately  kindled,  and  he  expressed  the  bitterest  feel- 
ing against  it.  Remonstrance  with  his  passion  would  then  have 
been  useless :  we  were  silent,  and  he  left  us.  My  little  girl  was 
then  lying  on  her  death-bed,  and  though  young  in  years,  was  old 
in  Christian  experience.  I  mentioned  the  circumstance  to  her, 
and  asked  her  what  should  be  done.  '  Oh,  father T  she  replied, 
^ miser ibe  for  a  Bible  for  him.'  This  we  did;  and  when  I  pre- 
sented it  to  the  young  man,  I  told  him  of  the  desire  of  the  dying 
(jhild.     He  receivod  it  with  gratitude,  took  it  home,  read  itj  and 


THE    WIDOW   AND    THE    WOOL.  255 


read  it  to  liis  fellow- servants,  who  soon  wished  to  possess  it  for 
themselves.  He  brought  me  six  shillings  for  this  purpose,  and 
we  received  it  with  gladness,  believing  that  it  is  the  work  of  God, 
and  that  nothing  shall  impede  its  triumphant  progress." 

The  mother  of  a  large  and  helpless  family  regularly  subscribed 
for  a  Bible,  during  four  months.  She  was  frequently  asked 
whether,  indeed,  she  could  spare  the  weekly  penny,  and  her 
reply  was,  '^I  never  miss  it;  we  were  very  poor  indeed  wnen  J 
began  to  subscribe,  but  this  book  seems  to  have  brought  a  bless 
ing  into  the  house;  we  were  very  lonely  without  it." 

You  may  also  like  to  hear  the  history  of  the  old  woman  and 
the  wool.  A  poor  widow  living  on  the  side  of  the  Black  Moun- 
tains, in  Caermarthenshire,  attended  a  public  meeting.  She  had 
only  one  shilling  in  her  possession,  part  of  which  she  intended  to 
lay  out  to  buy  wool  for  making  an  apron,  and  the  other  part  in 
candles,  that  she  might  see  to  spin  it  in  the  evenings,  after  finish- 
ing her  day's  work  with  the  farmers.  Having  heard  the  speakers 
describe  the  sad  condition  of  the  poor  heathen  without  Bibles,  she 
felt  for  them  so  much,  that  she  determined  to  give  sixpence  out 
of  her  shilling  to  the  collection,  thinking  that  she  would  do  with- 
out the  apron  for  some  time  longer,  and  spin  her  wool  by  day- 
light, when  the  summer  evenings  came.  As  the  speaker  pro- 
ceeded, the  old  woman  felt  more  and  more,  till  at  last  she  de- 
termined to  give  the  shilling  altogether;  ^^ because,"  she  said, 
"I  can  do  better  without  an  apron,  than  the  heathen  can  without 
the  word  of  God."  She  cheerfully  gave  her  shilling,  went  home, 
and  slept  comfortably  that  night.  At  daybreak  the  following 
morning,  a  neighbouring  farmer  called  at  her  door,  and  said, 
"Peggy,  we  have  had  a  dreadful  night;  several  of  my  sheep  have 
been  carried  away  by  the  flood.  There  are  two  lying  quite  dead 
in  the  hedge  of  your  garden.  You  may  take  them  if  you  like, 
and  you  will  get  some  wool  from  them."  She  thankfully  ac- 
cepted the  gift;  and  thus  she  had  wool  enough  to  make  three  or 
four  aprons,  and  tallow  to  make  candles  to  spin  it.  As  no  one  knew 
what  she  had  done  the  day  before  but  herself  and  her  God,  sh« 
looked  upon  that  occurrence  as  a  very  kind  providence  toward  her 


250  THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


And  now^  liere  is  another  history,  just  as  good,  about  the  Bible- 
bees. 

In  the  year  1809,  at  the  formation  of  a  Bible  Association  at 
Barton  in  LincolnsUre,  before  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  went  to  the 
meeting,  Mrs.  W.  said  to  Mr.  TV.,  "We  must  give  a  guinea  to 
the  Bible  Society."  "Nay/'  said  her  husband,  "that  is  too 
much;  the  rich  do  not  give  more  than  a  guinea,  and  we  are  not 
rich;  it  will  even  look  like  ostentation  in  us  to  give  so  much." 
"Still,"  said  Mrs.  W  ,  "if  you  will  not  give  it,  I  will"  "And 
where  are  you  to  get  it?"  said  he.  "I  have  it  by  me,"  said  she; 
"do  you  not  remember  that  you  gave  me  a  guinea,  with  which  to 
buy  a  hive  of  bees;  now,  I  will  give  that  guinea  to  the  Bible 
Society."  "Then,"  said  Mr.  W.,  "you  will  go  without  youi 
bees."  "It  is  well,"  said  Mrs.  W.;  "for  I  love  the  Bible  So- 
ciety better  than  I  should  love  the  bees."  So  they  went  to  the 
Bible-meeting,  and  the  guinea  was  given. 

They  had  no  sooner  reached  home,  than  the  wife  said  to  her 
husband,  "Oh  !  see !  A  swarm  of  bees  has  settled  on  our  beech- 
tree  :  if  no  one  claims  them  in  four-and-twenty  hours,  the  swarm 
will  be  mine."  No  one  did  claim  them,  and  they  were  hived. 
A  day  or  two  afterward,  Mr.  W.  said  to  his  wife,  "It  appears  to 
me  very  remarkable  that  Providence  should  send  to  us,  just  now, 
that  swarm  of  bees.  Suppose  we  dedicate  these  bees  to  the  Bible 
Society  ?"  To  this  Mrs.  W.  gladly  gave  her  consent.  The  first 
year,  the  hive  produced  two  swarms,  and  they  gave  two  guineas 
to  the  Bible  Society ;  the  second  year,  the  three  hives  produced 
ten  swarms,  and  they  gave  ten  guineas  to  the  Bible  Society.  It 
was  then  proposed  to  them,  that  instead  of  giving  a  guinea  for 
each  swarm,  they  should  keep  a  regular  account  of  debtor  and 
creditor,  placing  the  expenses  of  hives,  &c.,  on  one  side,  and  the 
produce  of  wax  and  honey  on  the  other.  In  the  third  year,  hav- 
ing had  some  loss  from  two  or  three  of  the  swarms  dying  in  the 
winter,  the  honey  and  wax  sold  only  for  7?.,  which  was  given  to 
the  society.  In  the  fourth  year,  the  produce  was  11^.,  which  was 
also  given  to  the  society. 

In  1835,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  removed  into  Wiltshire,  and  the 


THE   GUN    AND    THE   BIBLE.  257 


bees  were  then  left  under  the  care  of  other  persors.  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Methuen  of  Devizes  mentioned  that  the  society  had  received 
ten  guineas  from  the  Bible-bees^  both  in  1836  and  1837. 

In  the  Monthly  Extracts  is  recorded  a  mournful  incident  oc- 
curring in  a  district  in  Cornwall,  where  there  was  not  a  Bible 
Association.  A  young  man,  engaged  in  the  mines,  had  become 
the  subject  of  serious  impressions,  and  wished  to  possess  a  Bible 
of  his  own.  He  had  fixed  his  choice  on  the  quarto  edition,  at 
22s.,  which  he  found  he  could  have  from  Truro,  and  had  laid  by 
16s.,  when,  in  an  evil  hour,  he  fell  into  bad  company,  and  was 
tempted  to  buy  a  gun  with  his  savings  for  the  Bible.  His  parents 
remonstrated,  but  in  vain.  The  first  day  he  went  out  with  it,  his 
worthless  gun  exploded,  the  stock  was  shivered,  and  a  part  of  it 
penetrated  the  forehead  of  the  unhappy  lad,  who  in  an  instant  fell 
a  lifeless  corpse.  Ah  !  had  there  been  a  faithful  collector  calling 
at  his  door,  she  would  have  received  his  Qd.  or  Is.  as  he  put  it  by 
from  his  earnings,  and  the  Bible — the  blessed  Bible — might  have 
been  furnished  instead  of  the  awful  instrument  of  death  ! 

It  would  be  easy  to  multiply  incidents :  the  difficulty  lies  only 
in  selecting  them.  Every  one,  who  has  ever  been  a  steady  and 
patient  collector  of  weekly  pence  from  the  poorer  classes,  whether 
to  supply  them  with  Bibles  for  themselves,  or  to  afibrd  them  an 
opportunity  of  casting  their  mite,  precious  as  the  poor  widow's, 
into  the  treasury  of  Grod,  will  be  able  to  add  to  such  records  from 
his  own  practical  knowledge. 

Whatever  be  the  cause  to  which  we  contribute  labour,  and  for 
whose  sake  we  exercise  self-denial,  we  acquire  a  deep  interest  in 
it :  but  this  is  especially  true  of  the  Bible  Society,  from  the  vast 
importance  and  singleness  of  its  object,  and  its  ever-extending 
influence. 


When  Mr.  Dudley,  who  had  been  one  of  the  most  indefatigable 
agents  in  planting  and  regulating  these  tributary  committees, 
looked  round  him  in  the  year  1821,  he  spoke  of  1000  Bible  As- 
sociations organized  in  th^  United  Kingdom,  of  600  similar  iusti- 


258  THE    BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


tutions  in  other  quarters  of  the  globe,  of  900,000/.  expended  in 
this  noble  effort  to  circulate  the  word  of  God,  and  of  the  transla- 
tion, printing,  and  distribution  of  the  whole,  or  portions  of  that 
word,  into  eighty  languages  and  dialects,  in  which  it  had  never 
before  been  printed;  and  he  also  announced  the  fact,  that,  in 
the  seventeen  years  since  its  formation,  it  had  just  doubled  the 
supply  of  the  Scriptures  which  it  found  in  existence  at  the  period 
of  its  birth. 

In  the  year  1824,  the  committee  thus  addressed  their  sub- 
scribers : 

^'The  true  state  of  the  world  has  been  brought  more  fully  to 
light  than  before.  A  view  has  been  obtained,  that,  however  great 
and  however  commendable  your  past  labours  may  have  been,  re- 
duces them  to  a  cipher,  and  makes  them  still  appear  but  as  the 
sowing  of  the  grain  of  mustard-seed, — a  view  that  might  appal 
the  stoutest  heart,  were  it  not  written,  ^  I  am  with  you ;  fear  not,' 
and,  '  Is  any  thing  too  hard  for  the  Lord  ?'  He  who  has  shown 
you  such  great  things  will  show  you  yet  greater :  your  success 
must  only  incite  you  to  more  earnest,  more  zealous,  more  cheerful 
exertion  than  ever." 

On  the  3d  of  August,  1827,  a  branch  association  was  established 
at  Jarrow  colliery.  Sixty  families  were  found  destitute  of  the 
Scriptures.  This  place  is  rendered  sacred  as  having  been  the 
residence  of  the  Venerable  Bede,  the  first  translator  even  of  parts 
of  the  Bible  for  the  Anglo-Saxons,  and  the  mind  is  led  with  de- 
vout gratitude  to  contrast  the  facilities  now  enjoyed  for  multiply- 
ing and  distributing  the  sacred  volume  in  that  locality,  with  the 
barbarism  and  ignorance  which  at  a  former  period  impeded  the 
progress  of  Divine  truth. 

In  the  twenty-fourth  Report,  fifty  new  societies  were  said  to 
have  been  added  to  those  already  existing ;  yet,  notwithstanding 
the  vast  number  of  copies  diffused  through  the  nation,  the  demand 
was  not  nearly  satisfied, — a  fact  which  proved  that  there  had  been 
a  great  destitution  of  the  Scriptures  in  the  community,  and  that 
a  desire  to  possess  the  Holy  Book  had  been  created  and  extended 
to  a  wonderful  degree 


DEATH    OF   RE 7.  JOHN    OWEN. 


259 


^'  There  is  sometliing  at  once  grand  and  inspiring  in  the  thought, 
that  the  written  voice  of  God,  the  best  book  in  the  world,  has 
acquired,  in  mere  number  of  copies,  an  immense  superiority  over 
every  other  book  in  the  world,  placing  itself  by  all  the  good  books 
to  improve  their  usefulness,  and  by  all  the  bad  ones  to  bajffle  their 
malignity  •  and  this  in  contrast  to  the  times  when  millions  of  each 
successive  generation  passed  through  life,  and  out  of  it,  without 
any  dissatisfaction  that  they  had  never  read,  or  that  they  had 
never  been  able  to  read,  one  chapter  or  verse  of  the  Bible. '^ 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1822,  the  society  had  to  mourn  the 
loss  of  its  clerical  secretary,  the  Rev.  John  Owen,  by  the  un- 
sparing hand  of  death.     He  had  for  some  time  been  declining  in 

strength, — the  combined 
result  of  excitement,  fa- 
tigue, and  anxiety.  No 
frame  could  have  with- 
stood the  exhausting  and 
destructive  efforts  of  la- 
bours so  varied,  so  ex- 
tensive, and  so  incessant, 
as  those  in  which  he  had 
been  eighteen  years  en- 
gaged. A  brief  amend- 
ment gave  hope  to  his 
friends  and  admirers  cf  a 
perfect  recovery ;  but  the 
vital  energy  seemed  spent 
Owen.  in    the    meridian    of   his 

course,  and  the  lamp  of  life  only  flick 3red  for  a  while  to  dwindle 
and  disappear.  "  Those  are  the  things,"  saic  hs  to  his  attached 
co-secretary,  Mr.  Hughes,  who  was  then  laying  hold  of  his  dry, 
cold  hand,  and  comforting  him  with  the  passage,  "Thou  shalt 
guide  me  with  thy  counsel,  and  afterward  receive  me  to  glory," 

"  Those  are  the  things ,"  said  he,  when   death  prevented 

him  from  finishing  the  sentence. 

He  had  done  the  work  of  a  long  life  in  those  few  yeais.     It  ui 


260  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


strange  that  no  biographer  has  yet  be<3n  found  to  tell  its  tale;  foi 
he  seems  to  have  been  universally  beloved  and  deeply  regretted 
by  all  who  knew  him.  He  had  been  given  of  God  to  the  society 
on  the  very  day  of  its  formation,  and  had  guided  it  with  wisdom 
and  unwearied  energy  during  its  early  and  critical  years,  and  he 
left  it  towering  in  its  strength, — the  noblest  moral  pyramid  that 
the  nations  of  earth  ever  combined  to  build. 

If,  when  there  was  no  written  word  of  God  to  be  circulated  on 
the  earth,  on  the  tower  of  Babel  was  inscribed  Confusion,  there 
is  now  graven  Union  on  the  vast  pile  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society ;  and  the  noblest  names  of  earth  would  be  ho- 
noured, could  they  claim  to  be  written  on  the  stones  that  compose 
it.  Those  of  Owen,  Hughes,  and  Steiukopff  are  deeply  traced 
upon  its  base ;  and  our  young  friends  may  remember,  that  there 
is  room  yet  for  many  a  name  more,  of  those  who  shall  become  its 
devoted  and  faithful  servants,  seeking  not  honour  from  men,  but 
only  the  praise  of  Him  who  secth  in  secret.  This  pyramid  is  still 
building.  It  shall  never  be  finished  till  the  day  when  ''  the 
knowledge  of  the  Lord  shall  cover  the  earth,  as  the  waters  cover 
the  sea." 

IRELAND. 

The  committee  early  turned  their  thoughts  to  the  Roman 
Catholics  of  Ireland,  among  whom  there  was  said  to  be  a  Bible 
to  about  every  500  families.  Their  informant  then  stated,  that 
to  print  an  Irish  Bible,  at  that  time,  would  be  of  but  little  use, 
for  the  people,  if  they  read  at  all,  read  English.  The  society 
transmitted  to  a  clergyman  in  Ireland  1000  copies  of  the  Pro- 
testant New  Testament,  and  found  that  they  might  be  circulated 
among  the  Roman  Catholics  of  Ireland  with  little  difiiculty. 
One  thousand  copies  of  a  smaller  Testament  were  also  granted  to 
schools  in  Ireland,  which  were  numerously  attended  by  Roman 
Catholic  children. 

In  1813,  most  zealous  and  successful  exertions  seem  to  have 
been  made  in  Ireland,  for  the  circulation  of  the  Scriptures.  The 
number  of  Bible  Societies,  in  connection  with  the  Hibernian  So. 


SIX  months'  service  for  a  testament.  261 


ciety,  rose  from  eight  to  thirty-five,  and  the  number  of  Bibles 
and  Testaments  issued  was  40,000.  What  had  been  the  previous 
need  of  the  Scriptures,  may  be  gathered  from  the  following 
anecdote  : — 

"  A  young  man,  bred  a  Catholic,  having  learned  to  read,  and 
a  New  Testament  happening  to  lie  neglected  in  his  master's 
house,  it  became  the  constant  companion  of  his  leisure  hours. 
His  apprenticeship  to  his  master,  a  linen-weaver,  being  finished, 
he  begged  the  New  Testament  as  a  reward  for  his  faithful  ser- 
vices. The  master  refused  to  give  it  to  him,  unless  he  served 
six  months  longer.  The  young  man,  thinking  that  a  New  Tes- 
tament might  be  obtained  on  easier  terms  at  Castlebar,  declined 
this,  and  made  diligent  inquiry  at  all  the  shops  to  find  one. 
Alas  !  not  a  Testament  was  for  sale  at  that  time  in  the  principal 
town  of  a  populous  county  in  Ireland  !  He  could  not  live  without 
it;  it  was  never  absent  from  his  thoughts;  he  dreamed  of  no- 
thing else ;  and,  finding  no  rest,  he  returned  to  his  master,  and 
agreed  to  serve  him  for  the  Testament  six  months  more.''  A 
gentleman  of  respectability  in  Ireland  vouched  for  this  as  a  fact, 
in  a  letter  dated  24th  December,  1811.  He  adds  that  "the 
young  ilian  became,  and  continues,  a  steadfast  and  exemplary 
Protestant." 

In  1812,  the  Bible  Society  sent  1525  Bibles  and  Testaments 
to  Londonderry,  to  be  sold  at  half  their  cost.  A  coiTcspondent 
says  :  "  The  times  are  trying  to  the  poor ;  yet  many  who  come 
to  Derry  market,  to  buy  food  for  their  children,  came  to  my 
house,  and  said  in  my  hearing,  '  We  will  buy  a  little  less  meal, 
and  take  home  the  word  of  God  with  us,  as  we  may  never  get 
Testaments  for  Id.  each  again.'  Several  of  the  common  beggars 
bought  Testaments  with  the  halfpence  they  begged  in  the  streets 
About  200  of  these,  books  have  been  sold  to  Roman  Catholics. 
Do  not  leave  me  to  the  chiding  of  the  people,  without  a  fresh 
supply  :  1525  more  will  not  last  me  a  month.  Oh  !  may  God 
bless  his  word  everywhere,  and  abundantly  reward  the  work  of 
faith  and  labour  of  love  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bit  le 
Society  !" 


262  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


In  1815,  it  was  stated  that  the  Irish  had  manifested  an  in- 
creased anxiety  to  read  the  Scriptures  in  their  native  tongue; 
and  the  committee  determined  to  print  an  edition  of  the  whole 
Bible  in  the  Irish  language. 

In  1821,  it  was  said,  "  Seven  counties  in  Ireland  yet  remain 
strangers  to  the  beneficent  labours  of  the  Bible  Society,  and  eight 
more  are  but  partially  supplied ;  so  that  in  the  greater  proportion 
of  fifteen  counties,  the  influence  of  the  society  is  not  yet  expe- 
rienced. Still  much  was  doing  in  Ireland."  "  The  ladies  of 
Dublin,'^  say  the  Parent  committee,  "  were  the  first  agents  in 
this  kingdom,  who,  nobly  casting  away  all  apprehension,  and 
committing  themselves  to  the  protection  of  Almighty  God,  made 
the  experiment  of  female  influence  in  disseminating  the  word  of 
God  among  the  poor;  and,''  it  is  added,  ''in  their  very  great 
success  they  have  already  enjoyed  more  than  a  compensation  for 
all  their  sacrifices,  and  their  example  has  not  been  lost  to  the 
country. '^ 

In  the  Reports  of  the  Hibernian  Bible  Society  for  1827,  it  was 
said,  "  We  are  now  given  to  see,  as  it  were,  the  fruits  of  the 
labour  bestowed  for  many  years  past  upon  this  country.  May 
God  grant  that  it  may  prove  to  be  the  first-fruits  of  an  abundant 
harvest !  The  circulation  of  Bibles  here,  this  year,  is  40,000 
copies."  This  Report  also  mentions,  that,  on  occasion  of  some 
recent  discussions  on  religious  subjects,  which  took  place  in  Ire- 
land, scholars  were  in  the  habit  of  borrowing,  night  after  night, 
every  Bible  in  their  schools,  in  order  that  their  parents  and 
friends  might  compare  one  passage  of  Scripture  with  another  ;— 
Buch  Bibles  being  invariably  returned  on  the  following  morning. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Bible  Society  in  Holland — Prayer  for  Bible  Societies — Germany — Its  Re- 
ligious State  previous  to  the  Existence  of  the  Bible  Society — Dr.  Schwabe's 
Tour — Mr.  Owen's  Letters — Prussia — Royal  Patronage — Switzerland — An- 
tistes  Hess — Dr.  Steinkopff's  Report — Lausanne  Bible  Society — Sweden — 
Norway — Iceland — Mr.  Henderson's  Letters — Denmark — The  United  States 
of  America. 

HOLLAND. 

We  have  now  to  pass  on  to  the  continent,  and  there  observe 
what  had  been  the  labours  of  Mr.  Owen  and  those  of  his  coadju- 
tors among  the  nations  of  Europe,  and  their  correspondence  with 
the  world  in  general,  during  the  first  five-and-twenty  years  of  the 
existence  of  the  Bible  Society,  taking  first,  as  we  have  proposed, 
the  Protestant  countries. 

The  Parent  committee  in  their  tenth  Report  announced  that 
a  Bible  Society  had  been  formed  at  Amsterdam,  for  the  purpose 
of  supplying  the  Holy  Scriptures,  in  English,  to  the  British 
churches  in  Holland,  and  of  promoting  the  establishment  of  a 
Dutch  Bible  Society,  which  might  furnish  the  Scriptures  to  the 
poor  of  the  Netherlands  in  their  own  language,  and  circulate  the 
game  to  all  nations.  The  Prince  of  Orange  became  the  patroc 
of  the  English  Bible  Society  in  Holland,  and  its  directors  con- 
sisted of  Englishmen  and  Dutchmen  of  the  first  respectability. 
The  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  ofiered  to  this  newly- 
formed  society  a  grant  of  500  Bibles  and  1000  Testaments,  and 
promised  the  sum  of  5G0Z.,  as  a  donation,  on  the  establishment 
of  a  National  Bible  Society.  When  the  committee's  correspond- 
ent mentioned  this  liberal  ofier,  in  the  presence  of  three  of  the 
wealthiest  citizens  of  Amsterdam,  one  of  them  shed  tears,  another 
seemed  overcome  with  astonishment,  and  the  third  exclaimed^ 
''  The  English  are  a  pattern  to  all  nations  V 

1C3 


264  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


Rotterdam,  the  Hague,  and  other  cities  of  the  United  Nether- 
lands, soon  afterward  became  the  seats  of  zealous  auxiliaries. 
Thirty-two  Bible  Associations  were  formed  in  the  city  of  Amster- 
dam and  its  suburbs. 

The  Bible  Society  had  issued  an  edition  of  5000  copies  of  the 
Dutch  New  Testament  in  1809,  chiefly  for  the  use  of  prisoners 
of  war  in  England.  Considerable  numbers  of  the  copies  were 
afterward  forwarded  to  the  Cape  of  Grood  Hope,  and  were  most 
thankfully' received;  for  it  was  ascertained  that  not  a  single 
Dutch  Bible  could  be  obtained  for  money  throughout  that  ex- 
tensive colony.  On  receipt  of  this  intelligence,  the  society 
immediately  commenced  a  large  edition  of  the  entire  Dutch 
Bible. 

In  1819,  in  the  town  of  Hoorn,  in  Holland,  scarcely  a  single 
servant  could  be  found  without  the  Scriptures :  350  Bibles  had 
been  placed  in  the  workhouse;  and  the  large  halls  of  that  insti- 
tution, formerly  filled  with  disgraceful  mobs,  now  resounded  with 
hymns  of  praise. 

The  society  at  Rotterdam  had  upward  of  1000  members. 
Sunday-schools  promoted  Scripture  reading,  and  a  Bible  was 
reckoned  the  highest  reward  for  diligent  scholars.  Schoolmasters 
in  Zigp  were  ordered  not  to  let  a  day  pass  without  reading  a 
chapter  to  the  children,  ''for  the  Bible  iiilaces  every  one  in  the 
sphere  2vhere  he  ought  to  he:  it  is  in  itself  the  best  rule,  the  most 
faithful  counsellor,  and  the  safest  refuge.'' 

In  the  Netherlands,  in  1820,  a  certain  day  in  October  waa 
appointed,  throughout  the  whole  kingdom,  to  offer  up,  at  six 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  prayers  and  supplications  to  God  for  the 
success  of  the  circulation  of  the  Bible. 

In  1821,  the  Dutch  Society  furnished  with  the  Scriptures  all 
the  sufferers  by  a  dreadful  inundation  that  occurred  in  the  coun- 
try; and  a  very  active  Marine  Bible  Society  was  formed  for  the 
benefit  of  persons  engaged  in  the  shipping.     They  also  undertook 

version  of  the  New  Testament  for  Java,  and  a  Malay  version 
for  Amboyna,  in  both  of  which  the  society  afibrded  them  aid. 

"Let  us  therefore,"  say  they,  ''continue  to  communicate  the 


RELIGIOUS    STATE    OF   GERMANY.  265 


Bible  to  all  classes  of  people,  without  exception.  The  heavenly 
comfort  it  contains  will  not  be  felt  and  valued  more  in  palaces 
than  under  the  thatched  roofs  of  cottages.  The  Bible  is  indeed 
a  Divine  legacy  to  the  whole  human  race."     (May,  1822.) 

GERMANY'. 

During  the  war,  correspondence  was  opened  in  different  parts 
of  Germany,  to  ascertain  the  want  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  particu- 
larly among  Protestants;  and  through  the  untiring  labours  of  the 
Foreign  secretary.  Dr.  Steinkopff,  the  society  commenced  its 
operations  in  various  quarters.  The  numerous  calls  from  the 
poor  for  the  Scriptures  were  met  by  grants  of  money  and  Bibles 
from  England,  to  the  amount  of  2712Z.  New  editions  of  the 
German  Bible  were  likewise  undertaken  at  Basle  and  Berlin. 

The  religious  state  of  Germany,  when  the  society's  agent  first 
entered  it,  was  that  of  almost  universal  apostasy  from  the  saving 
doctrines  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  even  in  the  Protestant  German 
churches.  Rationalism  had  taken  the  place  of  Divine  revela- 
tion. Her  professors  of  theology  and  her  doctors  of  divinity 
were,  alas!  the  propagators  of  that  infidelity  which,  for  three 
generations,  had  filled  her  pulpits  and  her  schools  with  error: 
they  had  poisoned  the  literature  of  the  nation  at  its  source,  and 
altered  the  very  hymns  and  catechisms  of  the  reformers. 

Then  it  was  that  the  agents  of  the  Bible  Society  began  to 
spread  the  word  of  God,  without  note  or  comment,  as  the  most 
powerful  of  all  means  for  stemming  this  tide  of  neology.  The 
remnant  of  pious  Christians,  who  had  not  bowed  the  knee  before 
the  Baal  of  the  times,  gladly  welcomed  them,  and  willingly  joined 
in  the  work;  but  the  indifference  prevailing  among  all  classes  on 
the  subject  of  religion  was  a  great  obstacle  to  the  spread  of  the 
Scriptures;  the  churches  were  nearly  empty  in  all  parts  of  the 
countfy;  and  it  was  no  easy  matter  to  persuade  the  people  to 
purchase  and  read  even  the  Bible ! 

Bible  Societies  in  Germany  being  established  from  this  time, 
we  hear  of  more  frequent  inquiry  among  the  poor,  for  the  Gcr- 

23 


266  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


man  Scriptures^  than  had  hitherto  been  known  ti  exist.  Meaa- 
while,  the  various  German  committees  were  assisted  with  fre- 
quent grants  of  money,  and  the  poor  exiles  from  Hamburg,  and 
the  sufferers  by  war,  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  were  sup- 
plied with  copies  of  the  Scriptures,  which  were  most  thankful-/ 
received. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Schwabe,  who  made  a  tour  of  inquiry  for  the 
society,  on  the  continent,  often  along  the  track  of  country  through 
which  the  retreating  and  pursuing  armies  had  passed,  describes 
the  ruined  villages,  the  lost  Bibles,  the  scattered  schools,  the 
churches  even  left  without  the  Scriptures  necessary  to  the  per- 
formance of  Divine  worship.  He  established  a  Bible  Society  at 
Erfurt,  his  native  town,  and  the  locality  of  Luther's  monastery, 
once  well  supplied  with  Bibles,  but  where  the  destitution  was 
then  great.  Among  the  mines  of  Salfeld,  children  came  to  bring 
him,  with  tears  of  joy,  the  whole  little  treasure  they  had  gained 
by  picking  ore,  in  exchange  for  a  Bible. 

Among  the  silver-mines  at  Freyberg,  among  the  orphan  chil- 
dren at  Dresden,  and  in  many  other  towns  and  villages,  this 
agent  dispensed  the  bounty  of  the  society.  A  great  part  of  the 
ground  over  which  he  passed  had  not  before  been  visited  by  any 
Bible  agent;  and  through  evidences  like  these  of  the  sympathy 
of  Great  Britain  with  this  suffering  country,  Germany  learned  to 
view  her  with  no  less  admiration  when  holding  out  the  palm  and 
the  olive-branch,  than  when  girt  with  the  sword  of  war,  and 
strikins:  terror  into  the  hearts  of  her  enemies. 

Attached  to  the  fifteenth  Report  of  the  Bible  Society,  are  a 
series  of  letters  received  from  the  Rev.  John  Owen,  while  on  a 
tour  on  the  continent,  which  was  undertaken  partly  with  a  view 
of  restoring  his  failing  health.  During  his  journey,  he  greatly 
aided  the  interests  of  the  society,  to  which,  ''living  and  dying, 
he  was  unalterably  devoted."  He  vavelled  in  the  times  when  it 
took  two  days  and  a  half  to  get  from  Calais  to  Paris,  where  he 
visited  Professor  Kieffer,  in  his  study, — finding  him  engaged  in 
the  revision  of  the  Turkish  New  Testament,  'collating  it  with 
Greek,  English,   German,  French,  Tartar^  Arabic,  and  Persian 


THE   PRUSSIAN    BIBLE    S0CIE7Y  267 


Mr.  Owen  also  paid  t  v^isit  to  one  "who  laid  hold/'  as  he  says, 
"on  his  warmest  affections/' — to  Pastor  Oberlin,  and  his  Ban  de 
la  Roche.  Two  of  his  letters  are  dated  from  Basle  in  Switzer- 
land, which  he  calls  "the  favoured  asylum  of  sound  learning, 
evangelical  piety,  and  Christian  friendship.''  He  offered  to  their 
Bible  Society  a  contribution  from  London  of  500/.,  to  assist  them 
in  printing  the  quarto  German  Bible,  and  presided  at  a  meeting, 
at  which  were  present  the  great  and  good  men  of  the  city,  with. 
Dr.  Pinkerton  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Blumhardt,  who  gave  an  account 
of  their  tours  in  Germany  and  Holland. 

The  German  Bible  Societies  continually  increased  in  number, 
and  were  favoured  with  much  royal  patronage;  yet  still  the 
supply  of  the  Scriptures  was  not  equal  to  the  demand,  in  many 
parts  of  impoverished  Germany.  The  president  of  the  Giessen 
Society  laments  that,  in  ten  villages,  an  entire  copy  of  the  Bible 
is  rarely  to  be  seen.  The  gratitude  evinced  for  the  gift  of  the 
Scriptures  is  seldom  shown  more  earnestly  than  it  was  by  a  poor 
German  workman,  who  had  been  presented  at  the  anniversary  of 
the  Neuweid  Society  with  a  Bible,  and  brought  fifteen  silver 
groschen  to  the  clergyman  whose  ministry  he  attended,  saying  it 
was  his  "little  all,"  but  that  he  felt  bound  to  offer  it  to  the  Bible 
Society,  in  gratitude  for  that  excellent  Book  which  he  had  re- 
ceived from  it  the  year  before. 

PRUSSIA. 

The  Prussian  Bible  Society  was  established  in  August,  1814. 
"The  first  clergyman  in  the  city,  Probst  Hanstein,  rose  with  a 
Bible  in  his  right  hand,  and  represented  with  striking  eloquence 
the  floods  of  infidelity  and  wickedness,  the  ravages  of  war,  and 
the  general  misery  under  which  the  Prussians  had  suffered  for  so 
many  years,  and  pointed  out,  as  the  source  of  all  those  sins  and 
sorrows,  the  disrespect  and  contempt  which  had  been  poured  upon 
that  best  of  all  books — the  Bible." 

This  account  is  contained  in  a  letter  from  the  Rev.  Dr.  Pinker- 
ton,  who,  with  Messrs.  Paterson  and  Henderson,  had  been  intro- 


268  THE    BOOK    AND    ITS    sTORY. 


duced  to  the  Bible  Society,  in  tlie  year  1812,  and  liad  proved  its 
invaluable  foreign  agents.     All  three  were  natives  of  Scotland. 

The  introduction  of  the  Scriptures  into  the  schools  of  Prussia 
was  effected  by  a  decree  promulgated  by  Frederick  William  III., 
the  first  Grerman  sovereign  who  became  the  patron  of  Bible  So- 
cieties. 

In  1817,  the  Prussian  Bible  Society  continued,  diligently  and 
successfully  to  pursue  its  course.  Twenty  auxiliaries  were  added 
to  it  before  the  expiration  of  its  second  year,  and  one  of  these  had 
seven  branches ! 

The  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  offered  to-  its  members 
a  grant  of  500^.  They  were  engaged  in  printing  the  German 
Bible,  Luther's  version,  and  also  an  edition  of  the  Scriptures  in 
the  dialect  of  the  Wends  in  Lusatia,  which  the  Prussian  secre- 
tary said  was  "one  of  the  most  useful  works  ever  undertaken." 
Though  the  higher  classes  in  the  country  speak  German,  the 
lower  speak  Wendish.  They  are  a  people  who  have  a  particular 
objection  to  the  Bible  without  the  Apocrypha,  and  are  remarkable 
for  their  indifference  to  the  New  Testament,  when  printed  alone 

The  London  committee  observed,  with  admiration  and  gratitude, 
the  steady  march  by  which  the  Prussian  Society  advanced  toward 
the  attainment  of  its  object.  For  much  of  its  success  it  was  in- 
debted, under  the  blessing  of  God,  to  the  warm  and  decided  en- 
couragement which  it  received  from  his  Prussian  majesty  and 
several  branches  of  the  royal  family,  besides  the  personal  co-opera- 
tion of  ministers  of  state,  dignified  clergy,  and  numerous  persons 
of  property  and  influence. 

The  Bible  Society  has  never  especially  courted  royal  patronage; 
it  can  do  without  it:  but  when  we  consider  its  object — the  circu- 
lation of  the  word  of  Him  ''by  whom  kings  reign,  and  princes 
decree  justice," — it  is  meet  that  crowned  heads  should  cast  into 
rts  treasury,  and  that  it  should  comprise,  within  its  vast  con- 
stituency, alike  the  hearts  of  kings  and  of  peasants. 

In  1821,  Dr.  Steinkopflf,  in  a  tour,  attended  the  anniversary  of 
the  Prussian  Bible  Society,  which  had  then  translated  the  Bible 
into  five  languages.     The  number  of  auxiliaries  was  thirty-eight, 


SWISS    SOCIETIES.  269 


and  if-  had  distributed  50,000  Bibles  and  38,000  Testaments. 
His  majesty  the  King  of  Prussia  had  declared  to  the  Bishop  ol 
Potsdam,  that  he  rejoiced  to  support  Bible  Societies  in  his  do- 
minions, because  he  considered  them  one  of  the  most  peaceful  and 
efficacious  means  of  cherishing  a  spirit  of  order  and  piety  among 
his  people. 

SWITZERLAND. 

From  a  very  early  period,  the  objects  of  the  Bible  Society  had 
met  with  a  warm  sympathy  in  Switzerland  :  kindred  institutions 
rapidly  sprang  up  in  all  its  principal  cantons  and  cities,  and  the 
Scriptures  were  making  silent  but  effectual  progress,  even  amid 
the  confusion  and  disasters  occasioned  by  a  desolating  war.  The 
Zurich  and  the  St.  Gall  Bible  Societies  were  diligent  and  liberal 
in  their  distributions. 

The  Rev.  Antistes  Hess,  senior  of  the  Zurich  clergy,  wrote,  in 
1815,  a  letter  to  Lord  Teignmouth,  in  which,  after  alluding  to 
the  work  of  the  Bible  Society,  "  as  promoting  the  increase  of  the 
invisible  Church  of  Christ,  which  is  limited  by  no  boundaries  of 
countries,  or  national  dissimilitudes,  or  peculiarity  of  form  and 
ritual,'^  he  says,  "Permit  an  old  man  to  speak  also  a  little  of 
himself.  I  have,  from  my  very  youth  up,  had  a  great  desire  to 
visit  two  countries,  in  preference  to  all. others,  viz.  Palestine  and 
Britain ; — Palestine,  on  account  of  its  having  been  the  scene  of 
the  miracles  of  our  Lord ;  and  Britain,  on  account  of  its  inhabit- 
ants, who  have  rendered  themselves  so  illustrious  in  the  cause  of 
the  Bible :  yet  I  have  not  been  permitted  to  see  either.  In  some 
measure,  however,  I  have  obtained  my  desire,  partly  by  corre- 
spondence, but  particularly,  as  regards  England,  by  reading  the 
most  interesting  works  written  by  your  countrymen,  and  of  which 
I  have  a  select  library.'' 

A  correspondent  of  the  Bible  Society,  at  Lausanne,  says  :   "  The 

plan  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  was  first  imperfectly 

developed  to  me,  at  an  annual  meeting  of  the  clergy  of  Geneva ; 

and  being  struck  witli  its  high  importance  and  noble  aims,  I  was 

23-» 


270  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


anxious  that  my  country  also  should  participate  in  its  benefits. 
An  English  lady,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  its  plan,  pro- 
gress, and  principles,  soon  afterward  presented  me  with  ten  of  its 
Annual  Reports,  and,  with  an  English  guinea,  laid  the  founda- 
tion-stone of  our  society.  We  have  now  distributed  227  Bibles 
and  271  Testaments.  A  minister  of  one  of  our  villages  thus 
writes :  *  We  do  indeed  require  a  Bible  Society  in  the  canton  de 
Vaud.  Since  that  excellent  law  has  fallen  into  disuse,  which 
compelled  every  couple  to  produce  their  Bible  at  the  altar,  many 
families  are  without  it  in  the  villages  of  the  Jura,  where  they  no 
longer  read  the  Scriptures  even  on  the  Lord's-day,  or  during  the 
violent  storms,  as  was  once  the  custom.  In  many  ancient  families 
they  used  to  sanctify  the  hour  of  dinner,  on  the  Sabbath,  by  read- 
ing the  word  of  God  :  this  was  done  by  the  youngest  member  of 
the  family,  who  always  dined  first.  This  habit  has  been  neglected 
really  for  want  of  books.'  " 

Another  correspondent  thus  writes:  ^^I  was  singularly  struck 
with  your  idea  of  introducing  young  children  to  assist  in  founding 
the  Bible  Society.  It  is  for  two  young  orphans  that  I  desire  this 
favour, — Jeanne  Isaline  Zink,  and  Jean  Louis  Zink.  On  offering 
each  the  moderate  sum  of  2s.  6tZ.,  may  they  be  admitted  into 
your  honourable  society  ? — and  I  will  take  care  to  instil  into  their 
minds,  that,  having  been  received  in  the  years  of  weakness  and 
infancy,  they  are  bound  to  devote  to  its  service  those  of  maturity 
and  strength." 

The  Report  of  the  Lausanne  Bible  Society,  in  1824,  states, 
that  it  was  one  of  the  chief  designs  of  the  original  founder,  that, 
in  a  canton  containing  a  population  of  160,000  inhabitants,  not  a 
single  family  should  be  unprovided  with  the  Sacred  Scriptures; 
but  though,  since  1815,  upward  of  6000  Bibles  and  far  more  New 
Testaments  have  been  circulated,  the  design  is  still  far  from  being 
accomplished, 

SWEDEN. 

Mr.  Paterson  found  in  Sweden,  a  destitution  of  the  Scriptures 
truly  mournful.     In  1812,  it  was  calculated  there  might  possibly 


THE   SWEDISH   BIBLE   SOCIETY.  271 


be  a  copy  of  tlie  Scriptures  among  every  eighty-one  persons.  The 
Swedish  Bible  Society  was  then  formed,  and  was  assisted,  like  the 
others,  by  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society.  This  produced 
such  gratitude  in  the  breasts  of  the  people,  that  when,  in  the 
above  year,  Sweden  had  been  forced  to  make  peace  with  France, 
and  to  declare  war  against  England,  and  the  usual  war-prayer  was 
read  in  all  their  churches,  the  people  inquired  who  were  their 
enemies;  and  being  informed  that  the  English  were  intended, 
^*No  !  no  V  exclaimed  they;  'Hhe  English  are  not  our  enemies  ! 
They  are  our  best  friends;  they  sent  us  corn  to  sow  our  land 
when  we  had  consumed  all  our  reserve;  they  sent  us  medicine 
and  blankets  for  our  sick  and  wounded ;  and  now,  more  than  all, 
they  have  sent  us  the  Bible  !"  They  said  they  could  not  use 
that  war-prayer,  and  it  was  discontinued  accordingly. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  present  century,  the  religious  con- 
dition of  Sweden,  as  well  as  of  other  countries,  had  been  at  a  low 
ebb,  owing  to  the  system  of  philosophy  prevalent  at  the  time.  The 
reading  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures  was  generally  neglected,  for  the 
few  who  possessed  the  treasure  held  it  in  contempt,  and  it  was 
comparatively  scarce  among  the  mass  of  the  people.  It  was  an 
expensive  book,  and  few  could  afford  to  buy  it;  added  to  which, 
the  teachers  of  religion  declared  that  the  common  people  had  nc 
need  of  it,  and  that  it  would  do  them  more  harm  than  good. 

Mr.  Paterson  met  with  many  difficulties,  but  he  succeeded  so  far 
as  to  form  an  Evangelical  Society,  whose  immediate  object  it  was 
to  publish  religious  tracts.  The  Swedish  Bible  Society  was  esta- 
blished in  the  year  1814,  and  the  number  of  Bibles  it  issued  soon 
proved  that  the  gloomy  forebodings  expressed  with  regard  to  the 
circulation  of  the  Bible,  unaccompanied  with  apocryphal  books, 
were  without  foundation. 

In  1818,  the  committee  of  the  Swedish  Bible  Society  say:  "A 
name  which  we  have  all  learned  to  reverence,  is  that  of  the  Bri- 
tish and  Foreign  Bible  Socieff/, — the  Parent  Societ}'  of  every  Bible 
Institution  throughout  the  world.  We  have  this  year  received 
from  them  300Z.  and  powerful  aid  in  support  of  our  auxiliary  so- 
cieties.    We  have,  therefore,  beev  enabled  this  year  to  publish 


272  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS.  STORY. 


13,000  Bibles  and  5000  Testaments,  making  160,000  Bibles  and 
Testaments,  since  the  commencement  of  the  society/' 

In  1824,  there  is  an  account  of  Bibles  distributed  greatet 
than  in  any  preceding  year.  The  Hernosand  Ladies'  Bible  So- 
ciety, the  first  of  the  kind  instituted  in  Sweden,  continued  its 
progress  with  uninterrupted  success. 

The  president  of  the  Stockholm  Society,  Count  Bosenblad, 
spoke  much  to  Dr.  Pinkerton  of  the  ^'pleasing  effect  that  had 
already  resulted  from  the  labours  of  the  Swedish  Bible  Society, 
and  the  great  change  that  had  taken  place  in  many  minds  in 
favour  of  the  sacred  writings  and  of  Christianity, — the  voice  of 
infidelity  being  less  frequently  heard  both  in  public  and  in  private 
circles.'^  He  adds :  "  I  conceive  the  present  to  be  a  serious 
crisis,  which  will  perhaps  determine,  for  centuries,  the  moral 
state  of  mankind.  Grod  is  abundantly  sowing  the  good  seed, 
but  the  enemy  is  no  less  active  in  sowing  tares.  Had  not  Bible 
Societies  been  established,  through  the  merciful  providence  of 
God,  to  counteract  the  evils  of  ignorance  and  infidelity,  to 
what  a  state  of  degradation  must  the  world  have  sunk  at  this 
moment  V 

NORWAY. 

A  grant  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  was  made  to  the  poor  of  Nor- 
way, by  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  in  1812;  but 
the  example  set  in  Sweden  soon  extended  itself  to  the  sister 
kingdom  of  Norway,  under  the  liberal  patronage  of  the  crown- 
prince,  from  whom  it  received  a  munificent  donation.  The 
foundation  of  the  Norwegian  Bible  Society  was  laid  in  1816. 
Support  was  speedil}^  and  regularly  furnished  by  the  committee 
in  London,  up  to  the  year  1828,  when,  in  consequence  of  the 
decision  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  not  to  assist 
in  the  circulation  of  the  Apocrypha,  the  Norwegian  Society  com- 
menced an  independent  agency  of  its  own.  Previously  to  this, 
however,  large  numbers  of  copies  of  the  Scriptures  had  been 
circulated,  and  measures  adopted  for  the  translation  of  the  Ne^ 
Testament  into  the  Norwegian-Lapponese  dialect- 


EDUCATION    IN    ICELAND.  273 


ICELAND. 


But  we  musi  now  turn  to  this  large  and  interesting  island 
of  the  North  Atlantic  Ocean,  crossed  by  its  ridges  of  rugged 
mountains,  with  its  population  scattered  on  the  banks  of  the 
fiords  or  inlets  of  the  sea,  which  run  up  toward  the  glaciers 
of  the  interior.  Iceland  contains  an  area  of  30,000  square 
miles.  It  is  divided  into  305  parishes,  and  its  centre  is  a 
dreary  desert,  through  which  one  may  travel  far,  without  meet- 
ing any  trace  of  human  existence.  You  have  heard,  perhaps, 
of  its  magnificent  glaciers,  its  boiling  springs,  its  burning  moun- 
tain, and  its  forests  of  a  former  age.  The  Icelanders  are  the 
genuine  descendants  of  the  old  Norsemen,  and  their  language 
is  still  pure  as  they  imported  it  from  Norway,  in  the  ninth 
century. 

About  the  year  1057,  Isleif,  the  bishop  of  Skalholt,  intro- 
duced among  them  the  art  of  writing,  at  the  same  time  with 
the  Latin  lano-uao-e.  The  feats  of  their  ancestors  were  recorded 
in  songs,  like  those  of  the  Druids ;  their  historical  compositions 
were  called  '^  sagas,"  and  literature  was  cultivated  as  soon  as 
they  acquired  the  art  of  writing.  The  corrupted  Christianity 
of  the  times  was  established  in  Iceland,  in  A.  D.  1000.  In 
1529,  the  art  of  printing  was  introduced,  and,  in  1550,  the 
Lutheran  Reformation  reached  these  frozen  shores,  which  led  to 
the  overthrow  of  the  convents,  and  the  loss  of  many  valuable 
national  manuscripts. 

Elementary  education,  with  a  certain  degree  of  superior  in- 
formation, is  very  generally  spread  among  the  Icelanders.  Chil- 
dren are  educated  by  their  parents,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
parish  clergyman;  and,  owing  to  their  unchanged  language,  the 
humblest  peasant  can  read  and  understand  the  most  ancient 
written  documents  on  the  island.  In  the  '■'■  Young  Edda,"  a 
composition  of  the  eleventh  century,  it  is  said  of  the  Anglo- 
Saxons  and  the  Icelanders,  '■'•  ^Ycr  erimi  eimiar^  tungUy^  ^'  We 
are  of  one  tongue." 

Oddur,  the  son  of  a  bishop  of  Holum,  in  Iceland,  was  edu- 


274  THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


cated  in  Norway,  and  shared  in  the    sensation  which  the  doc 
fcrines  of  the  Reformation  \  "oduced  through  the  north  of  Europe. 

We  are  told  that  for  three  nights,  on  his  knees,  he  besought 
the  "  Father  of  lights"  to  open  the  eyes  of  his  understanding, 
and  show  him  whether  the  principles  of  Rome,  or-  of  Luther^ 
were  from  heaven;  and  afterward  repairing  to  Germany,  h^ 
attended  the  lectures  of  Luther  and  Melancthon.  On  his  return 
to  Iceland,  he  entered  upon  a  translation  of  the  Scriptures ; 
and,  to  avoid  persecution,  he  commenced  his  important  labours 
in  a  small  cell  in  a  cow-house.  He  completed  a  version  of 
the  New  Testament,  in  1539;  but  finding  it  impossible,  from 
the  force  of  public  opinion,  to  print  it  in  Iceland,  he  sailed 
for  Denmark,  and  published  it  under  the  patronage  of  King 
Christian  III.  He  also  translated  and  printed  the  53d  chapter 
of  Isaiah.  The  entire  Bible  was  not  printed  in  Iceland  till 
1584,  and  Oddur's  translation  of  the  New  Testament  was  adopt- 
ed in  this  version. 

This  edition  consisted  of  1000  copies,  and  has  been  called  "  a 
faithful  mirror  of  Luther's  Grcrman  version.''  Five  editions  of 
the  Icelandic  Bible  were  published  after  this,  some  of  them  of  2000 
copies  each,  and  the  latest  in  the  year  1750.  Still,  in  the  year 
1806,  the  following  is  the  report  of  the  scarcity  of  the  Scriptures  : — 

At  this  period,  the  Rev.  E.  Henderson  and  the  Rev.  J.  Pater- 
son,  who  had  devoted  themselves  to  the  mission-field  of  India, 
visited  Copenhagen,  with  a  view  to  obtain  a  passage  to  Tranque- 
bar.  Disappointed  in  doing  this,  their  attention,  during  their 
stay  in  Denmark,  was  directed  to  Iceland,  whose  population,  con- 
sisting of  46,000  persons  ahle  to  read,  almost  without  exception, 
had,  however,  among  them  but  forty  or  fifty  Bibles, — for  the  only 
printing-press  in  the  island  was  out  of  repair;  and  yet  no  people 
in  the  world  were  more  fond  of  reading.  As  they  could  not, 
however,  print  books,  they  recurred  to  the  older  fashion  of  tran- 
scribing them,  and  the  Scriptures  were  no  longer  to  be  obtained 
for  money.  These  afi^ecting  particulars  touched  the  hearts  of  those 
exccllen:;  raei?  with  compassion  for  the  people  of  this  island,  and 
they  made   ai    earnest  appeal  on  their  behalf  to  their  friends  m 


WANT   OF   THE   BIBLE   IN    ICELAND.  275 


Scotland,  who  conveyed  the  intelligence  to  the  committee  of  the 
Bible  Society,  in  London.  Lord  Teignmouth,  the  president,  then 
wrote  a  letter  to  the  Bishop  of  Iceland,  to  the  following  effect. 

After  informing  him  that  the  society  had  then  been  estab- 
lished only  two  years,  but  that  it  had  been  the  means  already  of 
circulating  the  Holy  Scriptures  to  a  great  extent  upon  the  conti- 
nent, he  says  that  "  it  would  have  felt  much  gratification  imme- 
diately to  be  able  to  supply  the  wants  of  Iceland ;  but  Icelandic 
Bibles  can  neither  be  printed  nor  procured  in  England.  We  there- 
fore adopt  the  only  means  in  our  power,  and  offer  to  contribute  one 
half  of  the  expense  of  printing  an  edition  of  5000  copies  of 
the  New  Testament,  and  we  shall  have  great  pleasure  in  learning 
that  the  offer  is  accepted  by  the  bishop  and  clergy  of  Iceland." 

To  this  letter  came  an  earnest  and  thankful  response,  stating, 
that  the  grant  was  truly  welcome,  that  the  best  farmers  in  the 
parish  had  warmly  contended  which  of  tbem  should  have  the 
loan  of  the  one  Bible,  which  was  sent  to  their  parish,  for  them- 
selves and  their  children. 

These  Testaments  were  then  printed  at  Fuhnen,  in  Denmark, 
and  1500  despatched  to  different  parts  of  Iceland,  in  the  spring 
of  1807.  The  war  between  England  and  Denmark  prevented 
the  transmission  of  the  remaining  copies,  and  it  was  thought 
that  they  would  have  been  destroyed  in  the  bombardment  of 
Copenhagen,  yet  they  were  preserved  when  almost  everything 
around  them  was  laid  in  ashes.  Two  bombs  entered  the  ware- 
house where  they  were  lying,  and  it  was  nearly  burnt  to  the 
ground, — "  that  part  only  having  escaped  the  flames  in  which 
these  Scriptures  were  deposited  V 

In  the  year  1815,  another  edition  of  5000  entire  Bibles  and 
5000  extra  Testaments  left  the  press,  for  Iceland,  under  the  Rev. 
E.  Henderson's  superintendence,  who  then  followed  to  witness 
their  distribution.  He  writes,  on  his  voyage  thither,  with  a  heart 
filled  with  joy,  "  Our  vessel  is  freighted  with  corn  for  the  needy 
inhabitants  of  Iceland,  and  also  with  the  bread  of  life, — the 
glorious  gospel  of  the  blessed  God."  His  reception  was  most 
gratifying  to  himself  and  to  the  society  which   he  representc4- 


276  THE    BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


Mr.  Henderson  spent  nearly  two  months  in  perilous  journeys 
into  the  interior.  Wherever  he  w€nt,  he  was  welcomed  with 
enthusiasm,  and  scarcely  left  a  place  without  being  followed  by 
the  benedictions  of  the  inhabitants.  The  ardour  of  the  people 
to  obtain  a  copy  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  was  excessive; — they 
really  ''hungered  and  thirsted"  after  the  word  of  God.  Mr.  H. 
says  :  "  From  all  that  I  have  been  able  to  learn,  there  are  more 
marks  of  religious  disposition  directed  toward  the  proper  Object 
of  worship  among  the  Icelanders,  taking  them  as  a  body,  than 
among  any  other  people  in  Europe."  In  the  appendix  to  the 
eleventh  Report  are  contained  Mr.  Henderson's  most  interesting 
letters,  while  on  this  journey.  He  left  a  copy  of  the  Eible  here 
and  there,  as  he  went  along,  and  announced  the  coming  large 
supply.  The  Bibles  were  to  be  sold  at  the  reduced  price,  viz. 
4s.,  and  the  Testaments  at  l.s.  Zd.  At  this  time  there  was  only 
a  post  to  Iceland  twice  a  year,  but  for  the  Bibles  there  was  to  be 
a  post  on  purpose.  At  the  house  of  the  Dean  of  Iceland,  he  saw 
a  Bible  of  the  former  days :  it  was  a  folio  edition,  nearly  devoured 
by  the  tooth  of  time,  but  the  defective  pages  had  been  all  neatly 
pasted  in,  and  the  text  supplied  in  the  most  accurate  manner  in 
a  handwriting  which  would  have  done  honour  to  any  schoolmas- 
ter in  Europe.     It  was  the  work  of  a  common  peasant. 

Mr.  Henderson  underwent  many  perils  on  this  journey.  He 
forded  on  horseback  upward  of  sixty  rivers,  flowing  cold  from 
the  snow  and  ice  mountains,  which  are  reckoned  very  dangerous. 
He  travelled  for  five  successive  days  without  seeing  any  of  the 
habitations  of  men.  The  road  was  cheerless  and  gloomy,  with 
scarcely  a  tuft  of  grass  to  relieve  the  eye,  or  the  note  of  a  bird 
to  charm  the  ear;  but  he  had  a  delightful  companion  in  a  Danish 
officer,  and  he  was  carrying  the  lamp  of  life  to  those  who  longed 
for  its  light.  He  descended  from  the  mountains  into  the  beauti- 
ful valley  of  Eyafiord,  and  in  that  neighbourhood  he  fell  in  with 
a  clergyman  who  had  been  seeking  in  vain  to  obtain  a  Bible  for 
the  long  period  of  seventeen  years  !  He  passed  through  a  parish 
in  which  there  were  only  two  Bibles,  and  another  in  which  there 
were  none  at  all !     It  was  then  fifty  years  since  the  last  supply 


DANISH   BIBLE    SOCIETY.  277 


of  Bibles  had  arrived  in  Iceland!  "Wherever  I  have  come/' 
says  he^  "I  have  been  welcomed  as  an  angel  from  heaven.  The 
people  often  asked  me  whether  old  King  George  had  sent  them 
the  Bibles ;  and  when  I  told  them  of  the  Bible  Society,  and  the 
spirit  it  wa.'  diffusing  in  every  quarter  of  the  world,  '  It  is  the 
word  of  God/  was  the  reply  they  frequently  gave;  and  they 
often  quoted  some  passage  relative  to  the  diffusion  of  knowledge 
of  the  Lord  in  the  latter  day.'' 

An  Icelandic  Bible  Society  was  instituted  in  1815;  and  in 
1823,  the  dean  reported,  "It  is  a  well-founded  opinion,  that  every 
family  throughout  this  island  is  now  in  possession  of  a  Bible  or 
Testament,  and  many  have  more  than  one  copy.  The  sacred 
volume  is  read  with  diligence  during  the  long  winter  evenings.'' 

It  is  with  difficulty  that  we  cease  to  quote  from  the  religious 
annals  of  this  interesting  people,  but  we  must  pass  on  to — 

DENMARK. 

In  August,  1812,  the  King  of  Denmark  granted  permission  to 
the  Bev.  E.  Henderson  to  reside  at  Copenhagen,  for  the  purpose 
of  completing  the  Icelandic  Bible;  and  not  the  least  valuable 
privilege  allowed  him  was  that  of  an  unrestricted  correspondence, 
— an  extraordinary  concession  to  the  subject  of  a  nation  with 
whom  his  Danish  majesty  was  at  that  time  at  war !  The  result 
of  this  permitted  residence  was  the  foundation  of  a  Bible  So- 
ciety in  Copenhagen,  under  the  royal  sanction,  on  the  22d  of 
May,  1814. 

The  wide-spread  principles  of  infidelity  presented,  at  the  out- 
set, the  most  formidable  discouragements :  but  success  came  by 
perseverance.  Prince  Christian  of  Denmark  paid  a  visit,  in 
1823,  to  the  committee  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
in  Earl-street,  and  attended  with  marked  interest  to  their  pro- 
ceedings. We  shall  have  more  to  say  of  Denmark,  when  re- 
viewing the  proceedings  of  its  Bible  Society  from  the  Jubilee- 
field,  in  1853 ;  but  we  must  now  leave  the  Protestant  countries 
of  Europe,  which  are  said  to  comprise  altogether  a  population  of 
fifty-five  millions,  and  pass  over  the  ocean  to — 

24 


278  THE    BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


IHE    UNITED    STATES    OF   AMERICA. 

The  first  societ;  established  in  the  States  of  this  great  republic 
was  that  of  Philadelphia,  which  dates  from  the  year  1809.  This 
society  ascribed  its  formation  to  the  example  and  influence  of 
the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  which  institution  imme- 
diately voted  the  sum  of  200^.  to  this  transatlantic  auxiliary^ 
whose  fibres  quickly  took  root,  like  those  of  the  original  tree,  in 
several  other  principal  States  of  the  Union,  to  each  of  which  was 
transmitted  the  usual  token  of  friendly  interest,  in  a  donation 
of  100?. 

The  case  of  the  colonists,  also,  in  the  North  American  posses- 
sions of  Great  Britain,  soon  attracted  the  attention  of  the  com- 
mittee, and  grants  were  freely  sent  out  to  meet  their  wants,  in  the 
French,  Gaelic,  and  English  languages. 

It  was  for  some  of  the  aboriginal  tribes  of  this  district  that  the 
society's  funds  were  first  applied  toward  printing  the  Scriptures 
in  a  foreign  tongue,  viz.  Captain  Norton's  translation  of  the 
Gospel  of  John  into  the  Mohawk  language.  But  as  America  is 
not  a  country  or  a  province, — as  she  is,  in  fact,  half  the  world, — 
she  has  records  of  her  own,  too  many  to  be  even  noticed  here 
In  1817,  America  had  149  Bible  Societies  scattered  over  her 
continent,  130  of  which  were  in  the  United  States  alone;  and 
the  American  Bible  Society  has  ever  since  continued  to  extend 
the  scale  of  its  operations  by  the  enlargement  of  its  funds,  the 
increase  of  its  issues  of  Bibles,  and  the  multiplication  of  its 
auxiliaries.  Many  delightful  reports  of  her  proceedings  does 
this  noble  daughter  transmit  to  her  mother  across  the  waves  of 
the  Atlantic;  and  ere  long  you  shall  listen  to  what  she  said  at 
our  Jubilee.  She  bids  fair  to  evangelize  her  own  vast  continents, 
and  also  to  be  our  most  glorious  ally  in  spreading  the  light  of 
God's  word  over  the  Old  World. 


We  have  little  space  to  notice,  in  detail,  the  West  Indian  cole* 
nies  of  the  Protestant  natioiis :  they  have  always  had  the  waroi 


WEST    INDIAN   COLONIES.  279 


Bympatliy  of  the  society,  and  grants  were  made  in  very  early 
years  to  many  of  them.  The  Barbadoes  Auxiliary  was  instituted 
in  1817,  under  the  auspices  of  Lord  Combermere,  for  the  benefit 
of  the  negroes,  who  received  the  Scriptures  with  much  gratitude. 
Six  years  after  the  foundation  of  this  auxiliary,  there  were  1000 
children  in  Bridge-town  under  religious  instruction. 

It  would  be  in  vain  to  attempt  to  enter  fully  into  the  state  of 
each  separate  island  at  this  period.  Associations  were  instituted 
in  almost  every  one  of  any  magnitude;  and  those  belonging  to 
the  Danish  crown  received  large  and  continuous  grants,  which 
were  conveyed  through  the  devoted  Moravian  missionaries.  No 
case  of  attested  want  of  the  Scriptm'es  was  addressed  to  the  com- 
mittee, without  finding  a  ready  ear. 

We  shall  here  close  our  review  of  the  preliminary  work  of  the 
Bible  Society  in  the  Protestant  kingdoms  of  the  world,  and  must 
reserve,  for  another  chapter,  its  proceedings  during  the  same 
twenty-five  years,  in  still  darker  regions,  and  in  the  remaining 
four  divisions  of  the  earth's  population. 


CHAPTER  y. 

The  Jews,  after  their  Dispersion,  in  Rome,  Spain,  Portugal,  France,  Germany, 
Turkey,  and  England — Their  Sufferings,  and  the  Remission  of  these — Their 
Numbers  all  over  the  World — "What  the  Society  did  for  them  in  its  first 
Twenty-five  Years — Letters  of  Dr.  Pinkerton  from  Russia — Jews  at  Thessa- 
lonica  and  Constantinople — JeAvish  Converts — The  Society's  Work  among  the 
Syrian  Christians  in  the  Armenian  Church,  in  the  Nestorian,  and  in  the 
Abyssinian — Letters  from  Mr.  Pearce — Grants  to  the  Vaudois  Church — Its 
Gratitude. 

We  have  now  to  examine  what  was  the  work  of  the  British 
and  Foreign  Bible  Society  among  the  Jews,  and  the  remnants  of 
the  ancient  Christian  Churches,  during  the  first  twenty-five  years 
of  its  existence. 

We  shall  take  a  distinct  but  rapid  glance  at  the  Jewish  natiau 


280  THE   BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


in  its  long  term  of  exile,  to  whom  we  have  not  referred  since  the 
period  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 

The  dispersion  of  the  Jews  over  the  world,  whicli  is  commonlj 
dated  from  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  had  in  reality  begun 
long  before.  The  Ptolemies  had  formed  large  colonies  of  them 
in  Egypt :  and  in  the  time  of  Cicero,  B.  c.  63,  there  was  a  wealthy 
Jewish  community  in  Italy.  Philo  enumerates  the  countries  in 
which  they  were  settled  in  the  time  of  Caligula,  A.  D.  37,  viz.  in 
Syria,  and  in  all  parts  of  Asia  Minor  and  Greece;  and  after  the 
captivity  of  Babylon  many  Jews  remained  in  Mesopotamia. 

In  A.  D.  131,  the  Emperor  Adrian  slew  580,000  of  them  in 
battle,  and  issued  a  harsh  edict  against  the  rest;  but  this  being 
allowed  to  lie  dormant  under  succeeding  emperors,  they  erected 
new  synagogues,  opened  schools,  and  acquired  considerable  wealth. 
During  this  period  the  ''Mishna'^  and  '^Gemara" — their  books 
of  tradition — were  composed. 

Constantino  called  them  "the  most  hateful  of  all  nations,"  and 
made  several  prohibitory  laws  concerning  them.  Adrian  had 
forbidden  them  to  approach  the  walls  of  Jerusalem;  and  these 
harsh  laws  caused  insurrection  in  Judea,  and  tumult  in  Alexan- 
dria. 

Julian  the  Apostate  favoured  them,  and  attempted  to  disprove 
the  Christian  prophecy,  that  their  temple  should  not  be  rebuilt; 
but  his  work  was  miraculously  destroyed  as  fast  as  it  was  com- 
pleted. 

The  Gothic  kings  of  Italy  protected  the  Jews,  who  had  at  that 
time  the  slave-trade  of  Europe  chiefly  in  their  hands. 

The  Emperor  Justinian  was  one  of  those  who  enacted  very 
cruel  and  oppressive  laws  against  them.  He  rejected  their  testi- 
mony in  courts  of  law,  cut  them  off  from  all  offices  of  dignity  in 
the  state,  debarred  them  from  authority  even  over  their  own  chil- 
dren, and  prevented  them,  from  bequeathing  their  property  unless 
to  Christians.  This  persecution,  which  was  chiefly  directed 
against  the  Samaritan  Jews,  almost  extinguished  that  once 
flourishing  community;  and  in  subsequent  history  they  no  longer 
appear  as  a  separate  people. 


THE   JEWS — THEIR    SUFFERINGS.  281 


The  rise  rf  Mohammedanism  brought  an  unfavourable  change 
to  the  Eastern  Jews.  Mohammed  endeavoured  at  first  to  win 
them  over;  but  as  they  would  not  acknowledge  a  descendant  of 
Hagar,  the  bond-woman,  as  the  greatest  of  prophets,  Mohammed 
revenged  himself  upon  them  without  mercy  in  Arabia,  where 
they  were  very  numerous.  The  caliphs  were  afterward  more 
favourable  to  them;  and  the  Jews,  following  them  in  their  tide 
of  conquest  along  the  coast  of  Northern  Africa,  contributed  also 
materially  to  the  triumphs  of  the  crescent  in  Spain. 

In  Spain,  under  the  Gothic  kings,  this  people  experienced  the 
first  of  those,  sweeping  proscriptions  which  they  were  doomed  to 
sufi*er  in  every  country  of  Christian  Europe.  They  were  -com- 
manded even  to  forsake  their  religion,  or  leave  the  country. 
Lashes,  chains,  and  mutilation,  with  the  surrender  of  all  their 
property,  were  the  punishment  of  all  who  would  observe  Jewish 
rites,  on  the  old  principle  of  compelling  men  to  believe  by  force : 
this  was  in  A.  D.  653.  In  Moorish  Spain,  the  Jews  had  after- 
ward a  golden  age,  which  lasted  for  centuries.  There  they  culti- 
vated science  and  learning;  and  the  names  of  Benjamin  of 
Tudela,  and  Isaac  of  Cordova,  attest  their  proficiency.  It  was  in 
Spain  and  Portugal,  after  the  expulsion  of  the  Moors,  that  the 
Jews  suffered  most.  The  Inquisition  undertook  the  task  of 
punishing  relapsed  converts  among  them,  and  finally  expelled 
them  from  Spain,  to  the  number  of  half  a  million.  Soon 
afterward,  they  were  driven  away  from  Portugal,  under  circum- 
stances of  still  greater  barbarity.  The  expulsion  of  the  Jews  and 
the  Moors  drained  Spain  of  its  most  useful  subjects:  this  took 
place,  A.  D.  1492. 

Charlemagne  protected  the  Jews  like  his  other  subjects.  They 
were,  Jn  his  reign,  physicians  and  bankers,  and  even  ambassadors 
of  state;  but  under  the  third  or  Capet  dynasty,  they  suffered 
bitter  persecution  throughout  France.  Philippe  Auguste  ba- 
nished all  the  Jews  from  his  dominions,  and  declared  all  debts 
due  to  them  null  and  void  :  again  they  re-entered  France;,  and 
were  mce  more  expelled,  under  Philip  the  Fair,  on  the  2  2d  of 

24* 


282  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


July,  1300 :  their  synagogues  were  converted  into  churches,  and 
even  their  grave-stones  torn  up  lo  be  used  in  building. 

In  Germany,  about  the  same  period,  viz.  in  the  thirteenth  and 
fourteenth  centuries,  the  Jews  were  massacred  repeatedly,  at  the 
cry  of  "  Hep  !  Hep  !  Hep  V  the  initials  of  the  words  ''  Hieroso- 
lyma  est  perdita,^'  «.  e.  '^Jerusalem  is  destroyed."  In  1236, 
they  were  accused  of  killing  Christian  boys  for  the  sake  of  their 
blood  for  the  passover,  and  were  again  hunted  down.  They  suf- 
fered from  fire  and  sword,  in  1298,  at  Nuremberg ;  and  in  the 
thirteenth  century,  at  Vienna,  they  were  forbidden  the  use  of 
the  same  baths  and  rivers  with  the  Christians. 

In  Turkey  and  Barbary  they  have  since  settled  in  great  num- 
bers. In  the  eighteenth  century,  a  milder  spirit  of  toleration 
manifested  itself  toward  the  Jews  in  most  of  the  countries  of 
Europe.  In  Holland  they  have  long  formed  a  flourishing,  nu- 
merous, honourable,  and  intelligent  community. 

It  appears  that  the  Jews  were  settled  in  England  as  early  as 
the  Saxon  period,  A.  D.  750.  From  the  time  of  the  Conquest, 
they  increased  in  number,  suffered  grievously  under  Stephen  and 
his  successors,  who  were  rapacious  of  their  gold,  and  were  cruelly 
persecuted  by  rich  and  poor,  priest  and  people. 

In  1290,  under  Edward  I.,  All  Jews  were  banished  from  the 
kingdom.  After  the  Restoration,  in  1660,  they  returned,  and 
again  settled  in  England ;  and  since  that  time  they  have  lived  in 
the  United  Kingdom  unmolested. 

Through  the  times  of  their  worst  oppression,  in  spite  of  ban- 
ishment, robbery,  and '  slaughter,  the  Jews  have  survived,  as  a 
standing  miracle,  in  the  midst  of  Christendom — preserved  of 
Grod  for  the  fulfilment  of  his  own  purposes,  and  in  large  num- 
bers. 

The  following  is  a  description  of  the  present  state  of  the  Jews, 
by  Professor  Gaussen  : — 

"  The  restless  feet  of  God's  ancient  people  are  pressing,  at  this 
very  hour,  the  snows  of  Siberia,  and  the  burning  sands  of  the 
desert.  The  missionary  Gobat  found  numbers  of  them  in  the 
elevated  Dlains  o '  Abyssinia ;  and  when  Denham  and  Clapperton 


NUMBER   OF   THE   JEWS.  283 


(the  first  travellers  who  ventured  across  the  Great  Sahara)  arrived 
on  the  banks  of  Lake  Tchad,  tliey  also  found  that  the  wandering 
Jew  had  preceded  them  there,  by  many  a  long  year.  When  the 
Portuguese  settled  in  the  Indian  peninsula,  they  found  three 
distinct  classes  of  Jews;  and  when  the  English  lately  took  pos- 
session of  Aden,  in  the  south  of  Arabia,  the  Jews  were  more  in 
number  there  than  the  Gentiles. 

''  By  a  census  taken  within  the  last  few  months,  in  Russia, 
they  amount  to  2,200,000;  Morocco  contains  300,000,  and 
Tunis  150,000.  In  the  one  small  town  of  Sana,  the  capital  of 
Arabia-Felix,  they  assemble  together  in  eighteen  synagogues. 
Yemen  counts  200,000 ;  the  Turkish  empire  200,000,  of  which 
Constantinople  alone  contains  80,000.  At  Brody,  where  the 
Christians,  who  are  10,000  in  number,  have  only  three  churches, 
the  Jews,  20,000  in  number,  have  150  synagogues.  Hungary 
has  300,000  ;  Cracovic  22,000.  In  a  word,  it  is  imagined,  that, 
were  all  the  Jews  assembled  together,  they  would  form  a  popu- 
,lation  of  7,000,000  ;  so  that,  could  you  transport  them  into  the 
land  of  their  fathers  this  very  year,  they  would  form  a  nation 
more  powerful  and  more  numerous  than  the  inhabitants  of  Hol- 
land and  Belgium." 

Mr.  Dudley,  in  1821,  mentioned  numerous  testimonies  from 
various  quarters,  which  evidently  indicated  a  desire  on  the  part 
of  many  Jews  to  receive  and  study  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

In  the  thirteenth  Report  of  the  Bible  Society,  it  is  stated, 
that  ^'  the  late  wars  and  commotions  on  the  earth,  with  the  pre- 
sent wonderful  exertions  to  spread  the  Holy  Scriptures  among  all 
nations,  seem  to  have  made  a  deep  impression  on  the  minds  of 
many  of  that  ancient  people.  Dr.  Pinkerton,  in  the  course  of 
Ms  journeys  on  the  continent,  collected  some  very  interesting  in- 
formation to  this  effect.  The  committee,  therefore,  have  pro- 
cured, from  the  Society  for  Promoting  Christianity  among  the 
Jews,  copies  of  the  Gospels  and  Acts  in  Hebrew,  and  despatched 
supplies  to  the  Russian,  Polish,  and  Frankfort  Bible  Societies.'' 

A  clergyman,  travelling  in  Syria,  says  :  ''  I  informed  you  ot 
the  rapidity  with  which  I  sold  a  considerable  number  of  Hebrev 


284  THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


Testaments  to  the  Jews  at  Aleppo.  The  day  before  my  de« 
parture,  the  chief  rabbi  issued  a  prohibition  against  the  purchase 
of  the  book.  A  cheap  edition  of  the  Hebrew  Old  Testament 
would  have  an  easy  sale  in  Aleppo.'^ 

Aleppo  brings  to  mind  the  name  of  the  lamented  Burckhardt — • 
a  young  man  of  superior  talents,  and  the  most  enterprising  zeal, 
who,  after  succeeding  in  opening  many  acceptable  channels  for 
the  distribution  of  the  Scriptures,  and  making  various  important 
discoveries  in  connection  with  this  object,  in  Egypt  and  Syria, 
was  suddenly  carried  off  by  a  fever,  at  Aleppo,  from  his  work  to 
his  reward. 

Of  Mr.  Burckhardt,  Dr.  Naudi,  secretary  to  the  Malta  Bible 
Society,  thus  writes  : 

"  We  have  seen  many  here  who  appeared  to  be  well  adapted 
to  take  Bibles  and  Testaments  into  Egypt,  but  most  showed  some 
fear,  either  of  the  bashaw,  or  of  the  Mussulmans,  or  of  the  differ- 
ent denominations  of  Christians,  or  of  the  Jews.  But  our 
esteemed  Burckhardt  left  Malta,  on  board  a  Greek  vessel,  witl\ 
six  large  cases  full  of  Bibles  and  Testaments,  in  various  languages 
without  any  fear.  He  read,  conversed,  and  distributed,  in  the 
most  open  manner;  and  Divine  Providence/ which,  without  doubt, 
conducts  these  great  and  important  objects,  assisted  him  in  every 
step, — as  well  in  giving  him  a  right  discernment  in  his  enter- 
prises, as  in  preparing  the  people  for  the  reception  of  the  word 
of  truth. 

"  On  his  arrival  at  Alexandria,  Mr.  Burckhardt  landed  cou- 
rageously with  all  his  cases,  which  he  took  to  an  inn,  where  he 
with  difficulty  obtained  a  little  garret,  which  hardly  held  him  and 
his  possessions.  After  two  or  three  days,  some  masons  came  to 
make  some  alteration  in  the  inn,  and  began  to  pull  down  his 
room  ',  but  he,  thinking  the  situation  favourable  for  the  sale  and 
propagation  of  the  Scriptures,  would  not  quit  the  house,  but  re- 
moved with  his  health-giving  merchandise  into  a  shed  belonging 
to  it.  Here  he  conversed  with  every  one  that  passed  by, — pea- 
sants, strangers,  and  merchants,  both  foreign  and  from  the  inte^ 
rior  of  the  country.     The  seamen,  who  are  veiy  numerous  at 


BURCKHARDT — HIS  ZEAL — HIS  DEATH.        285 


Alexanilria,  came  so  often  to  hinij  that  lie  wrote  to  us,  saying, 
that  the  Greek  Testaments  which  he  had  dispersed  would  only  be 
like  so  many  drops  thrown  into  the  sea,  so  great  was  the  demand 
for  the  word  of  God. 

"  He  departed  for  Grand  Cairo  on  board  a  country-boat,  sur- 
rounded by  a  great  number  of  Bibles.  After  experiencing  some 
dangers,  he  arrived,  took  a  little  lodging,  and,  as  before,  exposed 
his  wares  to  public  sale.  Here  he  found  that  his  mission  was 
not  only  known  to  all,  but  that  he  was  actually  waited  for.  Jews, 
Turks,  Syrians,  Copts,  Christians,  and  Pagans,  went  to  visit 
him,  and,  what  is  of  more  importance,  to  profit  by  the  books  he 
sold. 

^' A  few  days  after  his  arrival,  he  wrote  to  me  thus: — *  My 
dear  friend,  I  have  nothing  more  now  to  give  these  people.  All 
my  stock  is  expended.  If  I  had  had  with  me  twice  or  thrice  as 
many  copies  of  the  Scriptui'es,  I  could  have  disposed  of  them 
without  difficulty.' 

"  In  this  central  situation,  he  had  the  pleasure  to  arrange 
various  things  for  the  future  success  of  our  Malta  Bible  Society, 
in  those  extensive  countries,  with  the  bishops,  patriarchs,  and 
other  persons  of  i-ank.  The  Coptic  patriarch  has  requested  an 
edition  in  Coptic-Arabic,  for  the  use  of  his  flock,  which  most 
useful  measure  will  be,  I  hope,  attended  to.  - 

^'  From  Cairo  Mr.  Burckhardt  went  to  Jerusalem,  where  he 
visited  all  the  convents  and  public  places,  and  furnished  them 
everywhere  with  the  word  of  God.  At  length,  leaving  Jerusa- 
lem, going  by  Syria,  and  visiting  many  places  on  his  road,  he 
came  to  the  great  and  commercial  city  of  Aleppo,  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  which,  a  fatal  fever  put  an  end  to  his  valuable  life ; 
and  thus,  alas !  we  have  been  deprived  of  his  earnest  services. 

"  His  memory  will  ever  remain  dear  to  us.  All  the  friends 
of  the  Bible,  who  havi  any  knowledge  of  what  he  has  done  in  the 
Levant,  have  shed  tears  for  him.  By  means  of  a  friend  who  left 
this  place  yesterday,  we  have  written  to  announce  the  sad  event 
to  his  father  in  Switzerland,  and  have  enclosed  the  last  latter  his 
son  wrote  to  us,  dated  from  Antioch." 


286  THE   BOOK  AND   ITS   STORY. 


In  the  year  1822,  Messrs.  Henderson  and  Paterson  sent  some 
very  interesting  reports  to  the  society,  from  Kussia,  concerning 
the  Jews.  A  Bible  Association  was  formed  in  the  town  of  Ber- 
ditchev,  which  is  inhabited  by  16,000  Jews,  several  of  whom 
aided  it  by  their  subscriptions,  and  not  only  purchased  copies  of 
the  Old,  but  seemed  also  anxious  to  obtain  the  New  Testament. 
On  this  journey  they  received  the  most  convincing  proofs  of  the 
eagerness  of  Jews  to  receive  and  read  the  testimony  of  the  Messiah. 
The  travellers  had  previously  ordered  supplies  of  Hebrew  New 
Testaments  to  be  sent  from  St.  Petersburg,  to  meet  them  at  the 
more  important  stations.  In  the  town  of  Jitomir,  in  particular, 
their  lodgings  were  almost  besieged  by  Jews,  who  form  by  far 
the  most  numerous  part  of  the  population,  to  whom  they  gave 
copies,  after  ascertaining  their  ability  to  read  and  understand  the 
Hebrew. 

Having  learned  that  there  was  a  settlement  of  Karaite  or  Re- 
formed Jews  in  the  town  of  Lutzk,  Mr.  Henderson  visited  that 
place  from  Ostrog,  to  ascertain  how  the  Scriptures  might  be  dis- 
tributed among  them.  In  their  appearance,  their  manners,  and 
mode  of  worship,  these  people  form  a  striking  contrast  to  the  other 
Jews.  Unshackled  by  the  trammels  of  the  Talmud,  they  are  more 
open  to  conviction,  and  better  able  to  judge  of  the  truth  of  what 
is  proposed  for  their  belief.  The  travellers  wrote  thus :  "  We  had 
entertained  the  hope,  that  some  of  the  Hebrew  New  Testaments 
might  be  advantageously  disposed  of  among  them,  but,  to  our  no 
small  joy  and  surprise,  found  they  were  already  in  possession  of 
the  Book,  and  seemed  to  be  perusing  it  without  prejudice.  The 
rabbi  himself  produced  a  copy  from  his  library,  in  the  course  of 
our  conversation  ?elative  to  the  fulfilment  of  ancient  prophecy,  and 
he  spoke  of  its  contents  with  higu  respect,  before  a  large  company, 
who  had  collected  at  his  house,  in  order  to  listen  to  our  commu- 
nications. 

"  They  are  not  convinced  that  the  Messiah  is  already  come,  but 
their  minds  seem  to  be  interested  in  no  ordinary  degree  by  the 
subject;  and,  were  proper  measures  adopted  for  directing  their 
attention  to  the  true  meaning  of  their  own  Scriptures,  the  para- 


THE   KAHAITE   JEWS.  287 


mount  authority  of  which  forms  one  of  the  most  ciistiuguishing 
parts  of  their  creed,  there  is  every  probability  that  many  of  them 
would  be  brought  to  the  acknowledgment  of  Jesus  Christ  and 
him  crucified,  as  their  Messiah.  It  deserves  to  be  recorded,  to 
the  honour  of  the  Karaites  of  Lutzk,  that,  for  the  space  of  200 
years,  no  instance  of  law-suit  or  prosecution  against  them  is  to  be 
found  in  the  public  documents  of  the  place.  They  still  retain  the 
use  of  the  Tartar  language  in  their  daily  intercourse,  and  also  in 
the  synagogue  for  the  purpose  of  explaining  the  Hebrew  text  of 
the  Law." 

In  the  old  Turkish  town  of  Khotim,  the  master  of  the  inn  at 
which  they  slept  was  a  Jew.  He  told  them,  that,  on  the  next  day, 
the  whole  Jewish  population,  men,  women,  and  children,  were 
to  repair  to  the  banks  of  the  Dniester,  in  order  to  welcome  a 
new  rabbi  from  Poland,  who  is  reputed  to  be  as  holy,  and  to 
possess  the  power  of  performing  wonders  as  great  as  any  of  .the 
ancient  prophets  in  the  land  of  promise.  Before  leaving  Kho- 
tim, the  agents  presented  their  landlord  with  a  copy  of  the  Hebrew 
New  Testament,  which  he  accepted  with  every  mark  of  gratitude, 
and  they  left  him  and  another  intelligent  Jew  busily  engaged  in 
reading  the  history  of  Christ,  to  whom  all  the  prophets  gave 
witness. 

In  a  letter  from  Dr.  Pinkerton,  (1825,)  which  describes  a  severe 
illness  that  had  compelled  him  to  return  home,  and  relinquish,  for 
a  time,  his  tour  in  Grreece  and  Turkey,  he  mentions  two  interesting 
facts;  viz.  that  an  African  Jew  had  lately  purchased  thirty-three 
Hebrew  Bibles  at  Malta,  and  carried  them  with  him  to  Tunis, 
for  the  use  of  his  brethren  there ;  and  that  at  Gribralter  another 
Jew  had  purchased  132  Hebrew  Bibles,  to  carry  with  him  to  Leg- 
horn, for  the  schools  of  his  brethren  in  that  place. 

At  Thessalonica,  or  Saloniki,  where  Paul  himself  first  preached 
the  gospel  after  his  release  from  imprisonment  at  Philippi,  (Acts 
xvii.  1-10,)  there  are  still  from  25,000  to  30,000  Jews  who  speak 
the  Jewish-Spanish  language,  and  for  whom  the  New  Testament, 
m  that  version,  will  be  particularly  serviceable,  if  a  way  should, 
in  the  providence  of  Grod,  be  opened   for  introducing  it  among 


288  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


them.*  At  first  these  Jews  declined  to  purchase  the  Hebrew 
Scriptures  offered  them  by  Mr.  Barker ;  but  eventually  they  took 
his  whole  stock,  and  requested  that  more  might  be  sent.  How 
interesting  for  them  to  find,  in  the  17th  chapter  of  the  Acts,  the 
subject  of  the  apostle's  own  mission  to  their  ancestors,  nearly 
1800  years  ago  !  How  delightful  to  be  a  successor  of  the  apostles, 
in  the  character  of  a  Bible  Society  dgent,  and  return  to  the  chil- 
dren that  which  we  have  received  from  their  fathers ! 

The  Hebrew  New  Testament  appeared  to  obtain  access  imme- 
diately to  the  minds  of  many  Jews  who  had  never  before  seen  it. 
I)r.  Pinkerton  gave  away  five  New  Testaments  in  Poland,  to  those 
who  had  never  read  the  doctrines  of  Christ  and  his  apostles  in 
Hebrew.  They  all  commenced  reading  with  great  avidity,  and 
before  he  left  them,  gave  proofs  of  their  understanding  well  what 
they  read.  In  other  places,  he  says,  he  could  have  distributed 
hundreds  of  copies,  had  he  possessed  them. 

In  1827,  a  very  pleasant  account  is  given  by  the  late  Rev.  H.  D. 
]jeeves,  the  society's  agent  at  Constantinople,  of  some  Jewish 
converts,  who  suffered  much  for  their  belief  in  Jesus.  They  had 
read  the  New  Testament  secretly  for  three  years,  and  were  ready  to 
confess  Christ  before  men,  which  they  were  shortly  called  to  do. 
The  Jewish  rabbins  denounced  those  Jews  who  had  visited  the 
Bible  agents.  Three  of  them  were  seized,  one  bastinadoed,  and 
all  thrown  into  prison,  where  they  were  put  in  irons.  When 
brought  before  the  grand  vizier,  they  boldly  declared  themselves 
to  be  Christians,  and  said  the  only  reason  why  they  were  perse- 
cuted by  their  fellow-countrymen  was,  that  they  believed  that  the 
Messiah  was  come.  These  Jewish  enemies  used  all  their  efforts 
to  obtain  the  execution  of  one  of  their  number,  saying,  like  the 
Jews,  of  old,  '^We  demand  the  death  of  this  accursed  man,  whose 
blood  be  upon  us  !"  This  is  the  more  remarkable,  as  the  Jews 
never  allow  (if  it  be  possible  to  prevent  it,  by  the  forfeit  of  even 
thousands  of  piastres)  any  one  of  their  nation  to  be  put  to  death 


*  See  forty-first  Report.     The  printing  of  this  version   was   completed  at 
Athens  in  1845. 


CONVERTED   JEWS.  289 


by  the  Turks  :  but  the  dragoman  of  the  Porte,  to  his  honour  re- 
fused  to  dip  his  hands  in  innocent  blood ;  and,  in  a  conversation 
with  Mr.  Hartley,  actually  compared  their  conduct  to  that  of  their 
forefathers  before  Pilate.  The  accused  were,  however,  thrown 
into  prison  for  a  term  of  six  months. 

When  cruel  accusation  had  failed,  the  Jews  assailed  them  with 
all  the  temptations  of  persuasion :  a  full  pardon  with  immediate 
deliverance  was  promised  to  them  if  they  returned  to  their  old  re- 
ligion; and,  when  they  still  stood  firm,  it  was  falsely  announced  to 
them,  that  next  morning  they  would  be  led  to  execution.  Thus, 
for  a  whole  night  they  had  the  view  of  death  before  their  eyes,  and 
they  spent  that  night  in  reading  the  New  Testament  with  weeping 
and  prayer.  Through  the  agency  of  these  cruel  Jews,  their  labour 
and  sufferings  in  the  prison  to  which  they  were  condemned  were 
multiplied  tenfold,  but  their  ftiith  and  love  to  Christ  put  to  shame 
those  who  had  long  borne  the  Christian  name. 

Mr.  Leeves  says  of  them  :  '■'■  Their  Christianity  is  indeed  the 
work  of  the  New  Testament,  and  the  members  of  the  Bible  So- 
ciety may  rejoice  over  their  conversion,  as  the  fruit,  under  God, 
of  their  exertions  in  the  circulation  of  the  Scriptures.  One  of 
these  good  men,  when  baptized,  chose  the  name  of  John  Baptist, 
from  his  wish  to  imitate  his  example,  and,  like  him,  to  prepare 
the  way  of  the  Saviour  by  preaching  to  his  brethren  the  Jews.'^ 

In  the  letters  of  Mr.  Leeves,  appended  to  the  twenty-fourth 
Report  of  the  Society,  the  following  particulars  concerning  these 
converted  Jews  are  given.  They  were  subjected  to  long-con- 
tinued trial  of  their  faith  and  patience  in  the  prison.  Two  of 
them  remained  steadfast,  one  of  whom  was  John  Baptist.  The 
third,  whose  name  was  David,  relapsed  to  Judaism.  He  still, 
however,  remained  in  prison  with  the  rest;  and  it  was  generally 
believed  that  the  Jews  would  not  pardon  him  though  he  returned 
to  them,  as,  having  been  baptized,  he  would  always  be  esteemed 
by  them  as  a  polluted  person. 

The  imprisonment  was  lengthtined  oat  to  three  years,  and  any 
one  during  that  period  daring  to  demand  their  deliverance  was 
to  be  thrown  into  the  same  prison  with  them.     The  unfortunate 

2i 


290  THE    BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


backslider  shared  in  their  continued  punishment,  and  the  Jews 
■willingly  gave  him  up  as  a  sacrifice.  He  therefore  gained  nothing 
by  his  denial  of  his  Master. 

In  the  year  1829,  it  was  announced  that  these  Jews  had  been 
released  from  their  imprisonment,  and  that  the  two  remained 
steadfast.  The  reports  of  them  continued  satisfactory,  and  they 
were  successful  in  bringing  over  several  others  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  truth.  Thirteen  converts  were,  through  their  means, 
baptized,  and  made  ready  to  suffer  persecution.  They  were  ban- 
ished to  Cesarea ;  and  it  was  among  the  most  pleasing  of  Mr. 
Barker's  duties  to  forward  copies  of  the  Scriptures  for  their  com- 
fort during  their  banishment.  John  Baptist  afterward  visited 
Mr.  Barker,  at  Smyrna;  and  it  was  considered  that  the  way  was 
preparing  for  the  further  triumph  of  the  gospel  among  the 
Jews  of  the  Levant.  Thus  much  for  the  mission  of  the  British 
and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  for  five-and-twenty  years  among  the 
Jews.  And  now  we  take  in  order  the  remnants  of  the  Ancient 
Christian  Churches. 

THE  BRITISH,  THE  SYRIAN,  THE  ARMENIAN,  THE  NESTORIAN, 
THE  ABYSSINIAN,  ANB  THE  VAUDOIS  CHURCHES.  . 

The  ancient  British  Church  was  cared  for  by  the  Bible  So- 
ciety in  their  early  gift  of  the  Scriptures  to  Wales  and  to  Scot- 
land; and  for  the  blessing  on  the  descendants  of  the  ancient 
primitive  Church  in  Ireland,  we  must  look  from  the  Jubilee-field, 
and  also  under  the  head  of  Protestant  Countries. 


THE    SYRIAN   CHURCH. 

We  did  not  say  much,  in  the  former  part  of  this  Book,  about 
ihe  ancient  Syrian  churches,  as  existing  in  India.  '^  Their  rem- 
nants are  now  to  be  found,"  says  the  Bombay  Report  for  1818, 
"  in  Cochin,  which,  of  all  the  places  within  the  reach  of  this  so- 
ciety in  India,  is  the  most  interesting." 

The  Christians  of  St.  Thomas  had  been  long  seated  on  th« 


THE    SYRIAN    CHURCH.  291 


coast  of  Malabar,  wlien  the  Portuguese  first  opened  the  naviga- 
tion of  India.  They  were  probably  converted  to  Christianity  by 
the  Syrian,  Mar  Thomas,  a  Nestorian,  who  has  been  confounded 
with  the  Apostle.  St.  Thomas.  During  the  seventh  century,  their 
church  was  considerably  increased  by  the  labours  of  two  Syrians, 
Mar  Sopor,  and  Mar  Pedosis. 

"  On  the  arrival  of  the  Portuguese,  these  Christians,"  sstjs  Mr. 
Gibbon,  ^^  excelled  the  natives  of  Hindustan  in  arts,  in  arms,  and 
probably  in  virtue.  The  husbandmen  cultivated  the  palm-trade, 
the  merchants  were  enriched  by  the  pepper-trade,  the  soldiers 
preceded  the  nobles  of  Malabar,  and  their  hereditary  privileges 
were  respected  by  the  King  of  Cochin  himself.  They  were  go- 
verned by  the  Bishop  of  Cranganore,  who  asserted  his  ancient 
title  of  'Metropolitan  of  India;'  he  executed  his  jurisdiction 
in  1400  churches,  and  was  intrusted  with  the  care  of  200,000 
souls." 

It  was  the  first  desire  of  the  ministers  of  Rome,  now  arrived 
from  Portugal,  to  intercept  all  correspondence  with  the  Nestorian 
patriarch,  and  many  of  his  bishops  expired  in  the  prisons  of  the 
holy  office.  The  power  of  the  Portuguese,  the  arts  of  the  Jesuits, 
and  the  zeal  of  the  Archbishop  of  Goa,  who  personally  visited 
the  coast  of  Malabar,  greatly  troubled,  if  it  did  not  destroy,  this 
Protestant  Church  in  India,  while  they  had  also  to  complain  of 
the  cold  and  silent  indifierence  of  their  brethren  of  Europe. 

Many  of  these  Syrian  churches  are  found  to  be  still  in  exist- 
ence ',  and  the  Bombay  committee  of  the  Bible  Society  took  care 
to  present  them  with  the  few  copies  of  the  Syriac  Gospels  which 
they  had  received  from  England.  It  was  proved  that  they  would 
very  thankfully  receive  larger  supplies. 

The  eighth  Report  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society 
contains  a  reference  to  the  Christians  dispersed  over  Hindustan, 
including  Ceylon,  and  in  number  said  to  be  nearly  1,000,000,— 
few  of  them  having  the  happiness  to  possess  the  Sacred  Scriptures. 

Many  of  the  descendants  of  these  ancient  Christians  have, 
from  the  want  of  these  precious  records,  relapsed  into  idolatry, 
and  are  Christians  only  in  nime.     It  was  determined  to  aid  thero. 


292  THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


by  a  grant  to  the  Society  at  Calcutta,  of  BibleS;  Testaments,  and 
printing-paper,  to  the  value  of  1000?.* 

When  Dr.  Buchanan,  in  1806,  visited  the  Syrian  Christiana 
in  India,  he  found  several  important  manuscripts  of  great  anti- 
quity, which  he  brought  with  him  to  England.  The  last  years 
of  his  useful  and  laborious  life  were  devoted  to  the  preparation 
of  a  printed  edition  from  these  manuscripts ;  and  he  died,  so  to 
speak,  with  the  sheets  of  the  Syriac  Testament  in  his  hands.  A 
short  time  prior  to  his  decease,  he  was  walking  with  a  friend  in 
the  churchyard  at  Clapham,  when  he  suddenly  stopped  and  burst 
into  tears.  As  soon  as  he  had  recovered  his  self-possession,  he 
said  to  his  friend,  ^^  Do  not  be  alarmed;  I  am  not  ill;  but  I  was 
completely  overcome  with  the  recollection  of  the  delight  with 
which  I  had  engaged  in  the  exercise  of  preparing  the  Syriac 
Scriptures.  At  first  I  was  disposed  to  shrink  from  the  task  as 
irksome,  and  feared  I  should  find  even  the  Scriptures  pall  by  the 
frequency  of  this  critical  examination.  But,  so  far  from  it, 
every  fresh  reading  only  seemed  to  throw  fresh  light  upon  the 
word  of  God,  and  to  convey  additional  joy  and  consolation  to  my 
mind." 

In  1811,  also.  Dr.  Buchanan  forwarded  some  intelligence  re- 
specting these  Indian  Christians.  He  'spoke  of  fifty-five  churches 
in  Malayala  (comprehending  the  region  between  Cape  Comorin 
and  Cape  Illi)  acknowledging  the  Patriarch  of  Antioch.  '-  These," 
said  he,  "  are  Syrian  Christians  :  they  derive  their  liturgy  from 
the  early  church  at  Antioch.  What  copies  they  have  of  the 
Scriptures 'are  in  Syriac,  and  they  need  them  translated  into  the 
Malayalim.  They  have  attempted  to  do  this  themselves,  but  in 
vain.  When  a  proposal  was  made,  that,  a  Malayalim  translation 
should  be  sent  to  each  of  their  fifty-five  churches,  as  a  standard 
book,  on  condition  that  they  would  transcribe  and  circulate  the 
copies  among  the  people,  the  elders  replied,  that,  so  great  was 

*  Paper  was  Sent  out  as  a  grant  from  the  Parent  Society,  owing  to  the  enor- 
mous price  of  that  article  in  India,  at  this  time.  A  small  edition  of  the  New 
Testament,  in  1811,  of  1000  copies  only,  if  printed  in  India,  would  cost  1000?. 
on  account  of  the  high  price  of  paper. 


NATIVE    r.OOKS — DR.  BUCHANAN.  293 


their  desire  to  have  the  Bible  in  the  vulgar  tongue,  that  it  might 
be  expected  that  every  man  who  could  write  would  make  a  copy 
on  ollas  (palm  leaves)  for  his  own  family."  • 

Perhaps  you  have  never  seen  these  ollas  on  which  the  natives 
of  India  used  to  write;  they  now  chiefly  use  paper.  They  are 
long,  narrowish  leaves,  very  much  like  our  stiff,  flat  Iris  leaves, 
with  the  top  and  bottom  cut  off,  only  of  a  stouter  texture.  They 
are  dried  in  the  sun,  and  written  upon  with  an  iron  style  or  pen. 
Over  the  characters  thus  made,  lamp-black  is  rubbed,  and  the 
traced  letters  receive  a  black  impression :  the  leaves  are  strung 
together  by  a  riband,  two  round  holes  being  stamped  in  each  leaf. 
This  kind  of  book  is  not  now  so  common  as  it  was,  but  is  rather 
a  literary  curiosity. 

In  the  Report  for  1819,  the  committee  notice  an  edition  of 
4000  copies  of  the  Syrian  Old  Testament,  as  being  ready  to  ac- 
company the  New  Testament  before  printed :  they  also  sorrow- 
fully allude  to  the  death  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Buchanan,  who  had  in- 
terested himself  so  zealously  for  these  Syrian  Christians,  and  the 
last  act  of  whose  life  was  preparing  for  them  that  Holy  Book 
which  they  now  possess  and  peruse  with  great  satisfaction  and 
thankfulness.  Dr.  Buchanan  only  lived  to  superintend  the  issue 
of  this  impression,  up  to  the  close  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles; 
and  the  revision  of  the  rest  was  completed  by  Professor  Lee. 

In  1821,  the  Syrian  Christians  in  Travancore  had  been  supplied 
with  these  New  Testaments,  and  some  Nestorians  residing  in 
Jerusalem  were  much  pleased  with  them,  and  said  they  would  sell 
rapidly  in  Diarbekir. 

Besides  these  Syrian  churches,  there  is  in  Cochin  a  large  popu- 
lation of  Protestants,  the  remains  of  the  Dutch  colonists;  and 
among  the  Christians  who  have  settled  in  India,  the  Dutch  have 
very  justly  the  merit  of  having  done  much  toward  the  promotion 
of  Christianity.  They  established  schools,  and  caused  the  New 
Testament  and  a  great  part  of  the  Old  to  be  translated  into  the 
Malabar  language.  To  these  the  committee  sent  a  grant  of  the 
Dutch  Scriptures,  as  their  establishments  are  now  much  neglected 
and  fallen  into  decay,  having  lost  their  pittance  of  salary. 

25* 


294  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


There  ii  still  also  another  race  of  people  in  Cochin,  particularly 
interesting, — the  White  and  Black  Jews  of  Malabar,  in  whose 
record-chest,  you  will  remember,  Dr.  Buchanan,  in  1806,  found 
the  old  Hebrew  roll,  which  is  now  deposited  at  Cambridge. 

Some  of  these  Syrian  Christians  are  found  at  Aleppo.  Mr. 
Barker,  in  1825,  mentions  a  visit  from  a  Syrian  bishop,  who  came 
to  Aleppo  on  his  way  to  Jerusalem.  This  prelate  assured  him, 
that,  throughout  all  Mesopotamia,  the  Holy  Scriptures  in  the 
Carshun  language  (Arabic,  with  Syriac  characters)  would  prove 
a  most  acceptable  gift  to  the  Christians.  The  Syrian  bishop  was 
accompanied  by  a  member  of  his  church,  who  observed,  that  the 
Arabic  New  Testament  had  proved  a  real  consolation  to  his 
brother,  long  deprived  of  the  use  of  his  limbs;  and  that  he  had 
read  it  again  and  again,  and  had  found  in  it  things  of  which 
before  he  was  wholly  ignorant. 

THE   ARMENIAN   CHURCH. 

In  the  year  1815,  the  Armenian  Bible,  in  quarto,  was  being 
printed  for  the  use  of  the  Armenian  inhabitants  of  Russia,  who 
had  subscribed  liberally  to  the  institution.  They  took  a  great 
interest  in  the  publication  of  the  Scriptures,  also  subscribing  for 
balf  the  edition  of  the  New  Testament  of  5000  copies ;  and  the 
Bible  Society  agreed  to  assist  this  desirable  undertaking  by  a 
dona^tion  of  500Z.  From  Russia,  in  the  same  year,  Dr.  Pinker- 
ton  writes:  ''Thus  is  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  upon  our  labours, 
and  astonishing  is  the  manner  in  which  Divine  Providence  breaks 
up  the  way  before  us,  and  gives  us  hopes  of  soon  seeing  the  word 
of  Grdd  spread  among  all  the  nations  between  us  and  India.  Our 
Calmuc-Tartar,  Armenian,  and  Georgian  editions  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, are  the  glorious  links  of  a  chain  of  life,  which  will  soon 
unite  us  with  our  Indian  co-labourers." 

In  1814,  the  Calcutta  Auxiliary  Bible  Society  undertook  a 
large  edition  of  the  Armenian  Scriptures,  at  the  earnest  request 
of  Johannes  Sarkies,  a  principal  Armenian,  at  Calcutta,  who  him- 
self came  forward  with  5000  rupees,  as  the  united  subscription 
of  his  countrymen  to  that  work. 


THE   ARMENIAN   CHURCH.  295 


These  Armenians  are  scattered  all  over  Asia.  They  have 
churches  in  various  parts  of  the  Ganges'  side  of  India,  at  Madras, 
Bombay,  Surat,  Bagdad,  Busheer,  Muscat,  and  other  places.  Je- 
rusalem, Biarbekir,  and  Constantinople  are  patriarchal  seats. 
These  people  have  formed  settlements  wherever  they  have  found 
an  opening  for  trade.  They  are  found  in  many  places  in  Hin- 
dustan; and  a  very  considerable  number  of  them  are  settled,  as 
has  been  said,  in  Russia,  and  also  at  Venice. 

At  Venice,  the  most  correct  copies  of  their  Bible  had  been 
printed;  but  they  were  very  dear  and  scarce.  In  Calcutta,  an 
Armenian  Bible  could  not  be  purchased,  in  1815,  under  sixty  or 
seventy  rupees;  indeed,  it  was  only  procurable  at  that  price,  on 
the  death  of  any  gentleman,  at  the  sale  of  his  books.  In  Calcutta, 
the  Armenians  are  rich;  '^and  if,"  says  the  Calcutta  committee, 
^^the  want  of  a  Bible  is  so  great  here,  what  must  it  be  in  other 
places  I" 

Two  thousand  copies  of  this  old  version,  made  in  A.  D.  460,  and 
long  existent  in  manuscript,  were  reprinted  at  the  Serampore 
press,  in  1817;  and  in  the  same  year  the  St.  Petersburg  Bible 
Society  printed  5000  copies  for  the  use  of  the  Armenians  in 
Russia. 

In  the  successive  years  of  1818,  1819,  and  1823,  the  society 
purchased  at  Venice,  and  also  printed  at  Constantinople,  various 
editions  for  the  use  of  the  Christians  in  Armenia.  The  gradual 
influence  of  the  dispersion  of  this  ancient  or  ecclesiastical  version, 
on  the  educated  part  of  the  people,  will  be  made  evident  in  further 
records. 

Missionaries  from  America  have  laboured  very  much  among 
this  people,  who  now  speak  a  dialect  called  the  Modern  Armenian, 
into  which  it  has  likewise  been  found  necessary  to  translate  the 
Scriptures. 

The  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  made  the  first  attempt 
on  record,  to  produce  a  version  in  this  dialect.  A  modern  version 
of  the  New  Testament  was  completed,  in  1824,  by  Dr.  Zohrab, 
under  their  auspices;  and  it  was  printed  at  Paris,  in  parallel 
columns,  with  the  ancient  Armenian:  the  results  of  the  distribu- 


296  THE    BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


tion  of  ttis  version  also,  which  are  really  unprecedented,  will  be 
stated  on  a  future  page.  We  have  said  thus  much  about  the 
Armenians,  because  they  are  a  people  of  much  importance  from 
their  numbers.  Their  merchants  conduct  all  the  traffic  and 
manufactures  of  Turkey  and  Persia,  and  their  hierarchy,  in  India 
alone,  equals  in  numbers  that  of  Grreat  Britain;  added  to  which, 
the  Paulicians,  a  sect  which  arose  in  Armenia,  are,  in  some  sense, 
through  the  Waldenses  and  Wiclif,  enrolled  among  the  spiritual 
ancestry  of  our  reformers. 

THE   NESTORIAN    CHURCH. 

Concerning  the  Nestorian  Christians  there  is  not  much  at  this 
era  to  say.  The  language  they  speak  is  nearly  identical  with  the 
Syriac.  The  edition  for  which  they  petitioned  left  the  press  in 
1819.  ''So  great  is  the  antipathy  of  this  people  to  popery,  that 
they  have  a  singular  and  most  anti-Christian  custom  of  cursing 
the  pope  regularly  every  day,  his  grandfather,  grandmother,  and 
grandchildren  1" 

THE   ABYSSINIAN   CHURCH. 

In  1811,  the  committee,  owing  to  intelligence  brought  home 
by  the  traveller,  Mr.  Salt,  concluded  to  print  an  Ethiopic  version 
of  the  book  of  Psalms,  for  the  use  of  the  nations  of  Abyssinia, 
and  they  endeavoured  to  procure  a  version  of  one  of  the  Gospels 
in  that  language,  with  a  view  to  the  same  object. 

There  is  a  remarkable  account  of  the  reception  of  these  Psal- 
ters in  Abyssinia,  communicated  in  a  letter  from  Mr.  Nathaniel 
Pearce,  an  agent  employed  by  Mr.  Scott,  who  was  then  consul- 
general  for  Egypt.  This  agent  was  seen  by  Mr.  Jowett  in  1819, 
and  is  described  as  a  "wild,  tall  man,  dressed  in  a  sheepskin, 
waiting  with  his  camels  at  the  gate  of  the  consulate,  just  come 
from  Abyssinia,  a  journey  of  eighty-nine  days,  troubles  having 
compelled  him  to  quit  the  country." 

The  foUowino;  is  an  extract  from  the  letter: — ''The  books  of 


THE   ABYSSINIAN   CHURCH.  297 


the  Psalters/'  says  Mr.  Pearce,  ^4n  Ethiopic,  which  you  seot 
into  this  country,  I  have  carefully  and  diligently  distributed  to 
the  diiFerent  churches  and  holy  places,  in  the  name  of  the  Bible 
Society.  I  must  tell  you  that  the  people  find  some  faults  in 
them.  The  ink,  they  say,  is  not  black  enough,  the  strokes  too 
thin,  the  letters  too  much  crowded  together,  no  red  ink  at  the 
name  of  God,  etc.,  no  books  of  the  blessed  Virgin,  Solomon,  and 
the  Prophets,  written  as  they  are  in  this  country;  so  they  cannot 
accept  them  as  church  books;  but  in  exactness  they  allow  them 
to  excel  their  own  writing,  and  they  are  very  partial  to  those  in 
red  morocco  bindings !  I  presented  two  to  the  king,  Itsa  Takley 
Gorges."  Mr.  Pearce  says  again  :  '^  I  have  the  pleasure  to  inform 
you,  that  I  have  had  the  honour  of  being  called  before  an  assembly 
of  not  less  than  eighty  of  the  most  learned  priests  in  Abyssinia. 
This  meeting  was  held  in  the  presence  of  the  king,  on  the  top  of 
the  flat-roofed  church,  at  Axum,  on  the  6th  of  December,  1817. 
The  first  question  I  was  asked,  was,  'Who  wrote  those  books; 
and  by  whose  orders  were  they  written  ?'  They  next  asked  me 
if  one  man  wrote  all  those  books,  they  being  all  exactly  alike, 
observing  that  these  books  could  not  be  written  in  ten  years  by 
ten  men  in  this  country.  I  did  all  in  my  power  to  make  them 
understand  how  they  were  printed,  but  they  would  not  believe 
that  one  man  could  engrave  the  print  in  less  than  twenty  years. 
The  king  said,  'If  I  were  to  try  to  cut  the  letters  in  wood,  much 
more  in  brass  or  any  other  metal,  it  would  take  me  a  whole  day 
to  complete  fifteen  or  sixteen;  and  after  they  were  finished,  how 
many  years  it  would  take  me  to  put  them  together  I" 

So  you  see  the  Abyssinians,  in  1817,  had  not  partaken  of  the 
light  from  the  printing-press,  which  had  then  pervaded  the  con- 
tinent of  Europe  for  nearly  300  years. 

The  four  Gospels  were  completed  in  Ethiopic,  for  their  use,  in 
1826,  and  the  entire  New  Testament  was  published  in  1880. 

Ethiopic,  however,  is  only  the  language  for  the  learned  men 
of  Abyssinia;  Amharic  is  its  vulgar  tongue:  and,  concerning 
the  Amharic  translation,  many  interesting  particulars  have  al- 
ready been   given,   in   our  account  of  the  library  at  the  Biblt) 


298  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


Society  House,  The  translation,  purchased  by  Mr.  Jowett, 
occupied  M.  Asselin  and  his  aged  companion  ten  years.  Tues- 
days and  Saturdays  they  shut  their  door  against  everybody,  and 
translated  from  the  Arabic,  the  Hebrew  and  the  Syriac,  into  the 
Amharic. 

The  New  Testament  was  published  in  1829,  and  this  work 
was  seen  to  be  of  immense  importance,  as  the  translation  made 
for  a  people  who  were  already  students  of  Scripture,  as  far  as 
they  possessed  it,  whose  first  study  was  the  Bible,  whose  first 
spiritual  want  the  gospel,  which  they  read  over  and  over  again 
constantly  every  day.  Mr.  Jowett  says,  ^'  How  deeply  Christian- 
ity must  once  have  been  seated  in  the  hearts  of  the  Abyssinians, 
appears  from  a  great  variety  of  proofs.  How  delightful  once 
more  to  restore  to  them  a  general  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures ! — 
to  a  country  in  the  heart  of  Africa, — a  continent  which  seems 
left  to  these  latter  ages  of  the  world  to  remind  the  benevolent  of 
something  they  have  not  done, — the  learned  of  something  they 
have  not  discovered." 

"One  day,"  said  the  devoted  missjpnary,  Mr.  Gobat,  (now 
Bishop  of  Jerusalem,)  "I  am  all  joy  with  the  hope  that,  in  a 
short  time,  the  Abyssinian  mission  will  be  crowned  with  success : 
the  following  day  I  am  cast  down  to  the  very  dust,  by  the  idea, 
that  all  attempts  will  be  useless :  for  the  Abyssinians  very  gene- 
rally yield  to  the  truth,  but  it  is  only  for  a  while.  They  cannot 
make  up  their  minds  to  quit  so  much  as  one  of  their  customs. 
Thus,  faith  is  tried  for  a  time,  yet  the  promise  is  sure,  that  Grod's 
*word  shall  not  return  unto  him  void/  and  the  day,  perhaps,  is 
near,  when  Ethiopia  will  stretch  out  her  hands  unto  God." 

THE    VAUDOIS    CHURCH. 

In  the  Report  for  1816,  it  is  stated  that  a  Bible  Society  has 
been  organized  among  the  Waldenses  inhabiting  the  valleys  of 
Piedmont,  which  comprise  thirteen  parishes,  and  a  population  of 
17,000  souls;  but  such  is  the  poverty  of  the  people,  that  they 
were  not  ub  e  to  collect  more  than  50Z.  for  the  purpose  of  purchas- 


THE    VAUDOIS    CHURCH.  299 


ing  the  Scriptures.  The  committee,  in  consideratiou  of  their 
peculiar  circumstances,  and  doubtless  in  recollection  of  their  past 
history,  presented  them  with  a  donation  of  200?. 

A  letter  from  the  secretary  of  this  small  society  says,  "The 
misery  is  extreme  in  our  valleys,  which  are  inundated  with  a 
legion  of  Piedmontese  beggars,  who,  though  Catholics,  come  to 
i^implore  the  charity  of  the  Protestants.  -  The  continual  wants  of 
the  body  occasion  almost  an  entire  forgetfulness  of  those  of  the 
soul;  and  we  cannot  flatter  ourselves  that  we  shall  receive  more 
than  1000  francs  in  our  thirteen  churches.  Our  brethren  at 
Turin  have,  however,  promised  to  double  our  funds;  yet,  even 
with  this  addition,  it  will  be  impossible  for  us  to  furnish  the 
fiftieth  part  of  the  Bibles  we  want :  few  families  here  possess  the 
means  of  procuring  them  from  foreign  parts,  at  heavy  expense. 
The  Basle  Bible  Society  has  twice  gratified  us  with  a  gift  of  86 
New  Testaments,  and  100  additional  copies  are  speedily  expected 
to  arrive.  We  hope  that  God,  who  has  favoured  us  with  this 
supply,  will  increase  it.  Next  to  Him,  we  look  to  the  British 
nation  and  to  your  noble  society  for  support.  Without  England, 
the  Yaudois  would  long  since  have  ceased  to  exist.  Its  govern- 
ment has  paid  a  kind  attention  to  their  temporal  wants.  Its 
Bible  Society  will  also  deign,  they  hope,  to  consider  its  spiritual 
wants.'' 

In  answer  to  this  request,  the  grant  before  mentioned  was  made, 
and  warm  were  the  thanks  which  it  brous-ht  from  the  heart  of  the 
mountains.  "  Your  generosity  actually  electrifies  us;  but  to  God 
we  give  thanks  for  what  we  receive,  praising  and  magnifying  his 
Holy  Name,  at  the  same  time  supplicating  him  to  bless  your  per- 
sons and  your  labours.  We  laid  the  foundiitions  and  established 
the  first  rules  of  the  Yaudois  Bible  Society,  on  the  very  day  on 
which  you  were  so  kindly  occupying  yourselves  about  us.  How  do 
we  rejoice  over  the  advantage  of  being  in  connection,  and  as  it 
were  in  contact  of  heart  and  mind,  with  you,  dear  and  honoured 
brethren  !" 

In  1818,  the  Bible  Society  established  at  La  Tour,  for  the 
valleys  of  Piedmont,  had  dis':ribu ted  150  Bibles  and  1865  New 


300  THE    BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


Testaments.  "^'The  poor  inhabitants  of  those  valleys,  stirred  up 
again  by  the  spirit  which  so  eminently  distinguished  their  pious 
ancestors,  come  and  earnestly  entreat  to  be  received  as  members 
of  the  Waldenses'  Bible  Society,  and  urge  the  acceptance  of  such 
mites  tis  they  are  able  to  present.^' 


CHAPTER  yi. 

The  "Work  of  the  Bible  Society  among  Roman  Catholics — The  Greek  Church — 
Distribution  of  the  Bible  by  "Roman  Catholic  Priests — General  willingness 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  Laity  to  receive  it — Anecdotes — Leander  Van  Ess 
— France — Professor  Kieffer — The  Prayer  of  the  Dying  Sister,  and  its  An- 
swer— Austria  and  Belgium — The  Roman  Catholic  Portion  of  Germany,  Prus- 
sia, Poland,  and  Switzerland — Italy,  Spain,  and  Portugal — Russia :  the  Bible 
Society  there;  its  Extinction — The  Tribe  of  Buriats — Turkey,  European 
and  Asiatic;  its  mixed  Population — The  Turks — Foreign  Agency — Mr 
Barker — Greece — South  America — Dr.  Thomson — A  few  Words  on  the  Apo- 
crypha— The  Mohammedan  Countries — The  Heathen  Countries. 

We  must  now  pass  on  to  inquire  what  had  been  the  distribution 
of  the  Bible  among  the  members  of  Roman  Catholic  and  Greek 
churches,  all  over  the  world,  during  the  first  twenty-five  years  of 
the  existence  of  the  Bible  Society. 

In  the  very  first  Report  of  the  Society,  a  singular  feature  of  its 
history  was  presented  in  the  letter  of  a  Roman  Catholic  priest,  in 
Swabia,  to  Dr.  Steinkopfi".  "He  had  heard,"  he  said,  '^of  the 
example  of  the  Bible  Society,  who  were  filled  with  a  noble  desire 
to  send  out  the  pure  word  of  Grod,  as  the  best  preacher,  into  the 
world,  and  he  wished  it  a  thousand  blessings.  He  allowed  that 
all  blind  bigots  of  his  church  had  always  spread  the  opinion  that 
it  was  entirely  forbidden  for  all  laymen  to  read  the  Bible;  but  he 
declared  there  were  many  clergymen  in  Swabia  who  did  every 
thing  in  their  power  to  promote  the  reading  of  the  Bible,  espe- 
t^ially  of  the  Ne-*-  Testament ;  tl^at  theiy  nuniber  was  daily  in- 


THE   BIBLE    AMONG    ROMAN    CATHOLICS.  301 


creasing ;  and  that  tliey  even  felt  a  desire  to  forui  a  Bible  So- 
ciety among  themselves,  but  that,  in  the  mean  time,  he  would  be 
glad  of  Scriptures  to  circulate."  The  Bible  Society  thought  this 
opening  worthy  of  their  particular  attention,  and  they  authorized 
the  society  at  Nuremberg  to  furnish  1000  copies  of  the  Protestant 
edition  of  the  New  Testament;  for  sale  or  gift  among  the  Roman 
Catholics  of  Swabia. 

In  1810,  from  several  parts  in  the  southeastern  provinces  of 
France,  authentic  accounts  had  been  received,  that  many  Roman 
Catholics  requested  copies  of  the  New  Testament,  and  had  perused 
them  with  great  eagerness  and  gratitude. 

In  a  yet  earlier  year  of  the  society,  Pastor  Oberlin  had  given, 
in  a  letter  to  the  committee,  a  vivid  sketch  of  the  desire  after 
Bibles  in  the  interior  of  France.  He  told  of  the  villages  of  the 
Steinthal,  in  which  he  himself  laboured,  and  which  had  been 
evangelized  fifty  years  previously  by  the  good  Pastor  Huber,  who 
sent  for  fifty  French  Protestant  Bibles  from  Basle,  had  them  di- 
vided into  three  parts,  and  bound  in  strong  parchment,  which 
made  150  books.  These  he  lent  in  the  schools,  even  permitting 
the  scholars  to  take  them  home. 

A  Roman  Catholic  entered  a  house  in  one  of  these  villages, 
and  spied  in  the  window  a  thick  book  with  a  lock.  Having  heard 
that  Bibles  had  this  appearance,  he  took  it  down,  looked  at  the 
title,  and  asked  if  one  could  have  such  a  Bible  for  a  crown.  The 
owner  answered,  ''Yes."  The  Catholic  threw  down  the  crown, 
and  ran  away  with  the  Bible  to  his  own  village.  From  that  time 
the  demand  increased  continually,  and  several  hundred  Bibles 
were  sold,  given,  or  lent;  many  copies,  however,  were  taken  by 
the  priests  from  the  people,  as  of  old  time,  and  burnt,  and  some- 
times violent  contention  took  place  about  them. 

''  Once  a  priest  surprised  one  of  his  people  over  the  Bible, 
snatched  it  from  him  with  bitter  reproaches,  and  was  going  ofl:* 
with  it,  when  the  man,  who  had  seen  the  world,  and  often  heard 
from  his  neighbours  of  the  priests  taking  away  their  Bibles,  jumped 
up,  seized  his  hanger,  placed  himself  before  the  door,  and  cried 
out,  '  Mons.  le  Cure  !  replace  that  Bible  on  the  table !     I  respect 

26 


S02  THE    BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY 


vour  character ;  but  a  thief  is  no  pastor.  I  will  rather  cut  you 
in  pieces  than  sufier  you  to  steal  a  Bible  which  has  been  kindly 
lent  to  me.'  The  priest  restored  the  Bible,  but  ordered  the  man 
to  return  it  to  the  owner ;  and  thus  many  were  returned  to  us.'' 

About  the  same  period,  in  Germany,  a  Roman  Catholic  cler- 
gyman writes,  "  Blessed  be  God,  we  have  at  last  a  cheap  Bible 
for  the  people  of  our  own  persuasion  !  The  printing  is  happily 
complei3d  at  Batisbon,  and  several  thousand  copies  are  now 
circulating  in  various  Roman  Catholic  provinces  of  Germany. 
I  myself  distributed  650  copies.  Eight  of  our  clergymen  have 
publicly  announced  the  excellent  Ratisbon  Institution,  and  most 
earnestly  recommend  the  reading  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Im- 
mediately after  their  sermons,  numbers  applied,  and  2000  copies 
were  not  sufficient  to  satisfy  them  all.  The  Bible  is  now  read 
by  students,  by  the  people,  and  even  by  children.  My  friend, 
Professor  Sailer,  sent  600  copies  to  his  friends  in  the  Roman 
Catholic  cantons  of  Switzerland,  and  I  did  the  same  to  mine  in 
Austria." 

Several  Protestant  divines,  ha-\ang  seen  this  edition  of  the 
New  Testament  translated  by  the  Roman  Catholics  at  Ratis- 
bon, pronounce  it  to  be  faithfully  translated  from  the  original 
Greek. 

Some  of.  the  letters  from  Roman  Catholic  clergymen,  at- 
tached to  the  first  Reports,  excite  a  mixture  of  pleasure  and 
surprise.  Whatever  these  good  men  may  have  called  them- 
selves, they  seem  to  have  belonged  in  spirit  to  the  Universal 
Church  of  the  Book,  and  in  their  own  countries  they  aided 
not  a  little  in  its  dispersion  in  the  early  years  of  the  Bible 
Society. 

The  higher  powers  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  did  not  at 
first  seem  awakened  to  perceive  what  would  be  the  results  of 
this  spread  of  the  Bible.  The  country  clergy  might  then  act 
as  they  pleased ;  and  if  they  were  now  free  from  the  iron  hand 
of  spiritual  despotism,  under  which  they  groan,  numbers  of  them 
would  still  probably  take  their  stand  upon  the  word  of  God. 

At  the    late    Jubilee  meeting,  in    Exeter-hall,  the    Duke  of 


LEANDER   VAN    ESS.  303 


Argyll,  who  is  president  of  the  Scottish  Bible  Society,  express- 
ed his  '^firm  c.onvictioa  on  this  point,  that  the  great  mass  of 
the  people  in  Roman  Catholic  countries  would  be  ready  and  willing 
to  read  and  acknowledge  the  authority  of  the  Bible,  if  allowed 
to  act  freely  for  themselves." 

By  the  year  1814,  the  Bible  Society  began  to  prove  that 
the  Bible  is  not  a  book  exclusively  for  the  clergy  and  the 
learned,  but  the  Book  for  the  human  race.  In  the  Report 
for  that  year,  is  first  mentioned  the  honoured  name  of  Leander 
Van  Ess,  Catholic  professor  of  divinity  at  Marbourg.  He  was 
a  clergyman,  who,  with  his  brother,  had  produced  an  excellent 
translation  of  the  New  Testament,  from  the  Greek  into  Ger- 
man, and  desired  help  from  the  Bible  Society  to  circulate  it. 
They  voted  him  200^.,  on  condition  that  the  few  notes  accom- 
panying his  own  impression  should  be  struck  out.  Generously 
sustained  in  succeeding  years  by  grant  after  grant  from  the 
committee,  and  in  defiance  of  mandates  which  began  to  issue 
from  Rome,  of  the  old  kind,  in  favour  of  tradition,  and  in 
check  of  Bible  distribution,  this  diligent  professor  saw  the  dis 
persion  of  many  editions  of  his  New  Testament,  and  had  the 
joy  of  gratifying  "  the  great  and  irresistible  desire  of  the  people 
to  have  the  Bible."  Mr.  Owen  saw  him,  at  Basle,  in  1818, 
and  describes  him  as  "a  most  interesting  man,  in  the  prime 
of  life,  apparently  about  forty  years  of  age  :  his  countenance 
is  intelligent  and  manly,  his  conversation  fluent  and  animated, 
and  his  whole  manner  partaking  of  that  ardour  and  vivacious 
energy  which,  so  remarkably  characterize  all  his  writings  and 
operations.  The  dissemination  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  the 
blessed  efiects  with  which  it  is  attended,  are  the  theme  on 
which  he  delights  to  discourse :  they  seem  to  occupy  his  whole 
soul,  and  to  constitute,  in  a  manner,  the  element  in  which  he 
exists. 

The  letters  of  Leander  Van  Ess  to  the  committee  are,  in 
themselves,  treasures  of  Christian  love  and  energy.  We  cannot 
quote  them,  but  they  are  all  in  these  Bible  Reports,  which  now, 
a,s  in  a  long-clcsed  mine,  contain  ungathered  gems  of  history,-  - 


1^04  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


a  history  wliicli   would  be  tliought  worth  tracing  even  by  the 
angels  of  God. 

A  child  once  said  to  us,  ''  Why  do  they  not  make  history 
lessons  from  the  lives  of  God's  men,  who  have  done  good  in  the 
world,  and  give  them  to  children,  instead  of  the  histories  of 
kings,  and  the  men  who  have  made  war  in  the  world  ?"  Such 
histories  are  laid  up  here  in  great  abundance.  Here  are  the 
Bacred  relics  of  hearts  which  burned,  with  the  pure  flame  of  devo- 
tion and  zeal,  in  the  noblest  work  in  which  man  can  engage  on 
earth,  and  whese  ^^work  of  faith  and  labour  of  love"  the  All- 
seeing  One  has  remembered,  while,  perhaps,  man  has  forgotten ; 
for  the  circulation  of  his  word  is  his  own  design,  and  he  has  ever 
watched  over  it,  and  brought  it  to  pass.  "  It  shall  prosper  in 
that  whereto  he  hath  sent  it.'^ 


In  the  wide  glance  we  have  wished  to  take  over  the  Roman 
Catholic  kingdoms, — over  France,  Austria,  Belgium,  half  of 
Germany,  tico-Jifths  of  Prussia,  Poland,  two-fftJis  of  Switzer- 
land, over  Italy,  Spain,  and  Portugal,  and  also  over  Mexico,  and 
the  whole  continent  of  South  America,  together  with  the  work 
of  the  Society  among  the  members  of  the  Greek  Church  in 
Greece,  in  European  and  Asiatic  TurJcey,  and  in  European  and 
Asiatic  Russia, — our  heart  almost  fails  us  in  entering  into  de- 
tail ; — there  is  so  much  to  tell,  and  so  little  space  in  which  to  tell 
it.  It  were  easy  to  write  a  book  on  the  dispersion  of  the  Bible 
in  any  one  of  these  kingdoms ;  but  to  give  you  a  definite  idea  of 
its  work  in  all, — that  is  the  difficulty.  The  Roman  Catholic 
religion  in  Europe  is  professed  by  120  millions  of  people,  which 
is  half  the  European  population.  The  Greek  church  numbers 
more  than  55  millions;  and,  added  together,  they  are  175  millions, 
as  nearly  as  calculation  can  be  made.  Let  us  just  see  what,  in 
1829;  had  been  the  result  of  the  spread  of  the  Bible  in — 


BIBLE   DISTRIBUTION    IN    FRANCE.  805 


FRANCE. 

It  is  known  to  be  a  fact,  that,  even  in  1814,  some  pious  Eng- 
lishmen, who  came  to  Paris,  made  an  attempt  to  meet  with  a 
French  Bible  of  any  version,  and  that  they  were  unsuccessful  in 
their  search. 

In  1813,  the  Bible  Society  subscribed  250Z.  to  a  stereotype 
edition  of  Le  Maistre  de  Sacy's  Version  of  the  New  Testament 
for  the  use  of  the  Catholics  in  France.  In  1818,  when  Mr.  Owen 
paid  a  visit  in  Paris  to  Professor  Kieffer,  and  found  him  revising 
the  Turkish  Bible,  his  thoughts  were  also  busy  on  what  might  be 
done  among  the  Roman  Catholic  portion  of  the  population.  His 
distributions  among  them  in  1819  and  1820  cost  the  committee 
upward  of  2000Z.  Professor  KieflFer  was  appointed  as  regular 
agent  in  1820,  and  continued  so  to  act  until  1833.  His  issues, 
during  this  period,  amounted  to  more  than  730,000  copies,  chiefly 
among  Roman  Catholics. 

In  1830,  when  religious  liberty  was  at  its  height  in  France,  a 
strenuous  effort  was  made  to  aid  the  religious  movement  which  it 
had  commenced  in  Paris,  with  a  view  to  evangelize  the  Roman 
Catholics.  Several  places  of  worship  were  opened  in  the  capital, 
which  were  filled  to  overflowing. 

In  the  mean  time,  God  was  preparing  for  his  own  work  one, 
who,  for  twenty  years,  has  since  directed  the  agency  of  the  Bible 
Society  in  France,  with  consummate  zeal  and  prudence.  Mon- 
sieur de  P.  was  not  appointed  as  agent  till  1833,  and  the  account 
of  his  labours  belongs  to  the  second  era  of  the  society's  history. 
But  you  will  like  to  know  one  or  two  instances  of  his  early  life. 

He  was  the  son  of  a  Catholic  father  and  a  Protestant  mother, 
<^the  latter  being  descended  from  the  persecuted  Huguenots,)  and 
was  brought  up  a  Catholic,  as  it  had  been  arranged  the  sons  should 
be.  The  whole  family  emigrated  to  Holland  at  the  Revolution, 
and  the  son  thus  became  a  pupil  of  the  Jesuits,  and  was  a  second 
time  baptized  by  the  reverend  fathers,  with  great  pomp.  They 
sought  further  refuge  at  Lausanne,  and  here  the  youth  came 
under  Protestant  influence  and  more  especially  under  that  of  his 

26* 


^06  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


elder  sister,  who  was  a  confirmed  invalid,  and  passed  her  days 
extended  on  an  arm-cliair, — finding  her  whole  consolation  in  the 
family  Bible,  which  was  from  morning  till  night  before  her. 

Every  day  she  called  her  brother  to  her  side,  for  the  purpose 
of  speaking  to  him  of  her  hopes  and  spiritual  joys,  with  an  unc- 
tion and  a  rapture  which  would  have  moved  any  heart.  Several 
days  before  her  death,  feeling  her  end  approaching,  she  spoke  to 
her  brother  with  more  energy  than  ever.  She  read  to  him  a 
number  of  the  most  forcible  passages  of  Scripture,  and  besought 
him  to  give  his  heart  to  the  Lord,  while  frequently  she  was  heard, 
by  persons  passing  her  room,  imploring  the  Lord,  when  alone, 
that  her  brother  might  become  a  servant  of  his  word. 

And,  oh !  how  this  prayer  of  the  dying  was  answered,  let  the 
whole  history  of  colportage  upon  the  continent  of  Europe  bear 
witness !  God  has  often  answered  such  prayers,  and  he  never 
withdraws  from  his  work  on  earth  the  strength  of  an  earnest  soill, 
but  he  suffers  that  soul,  in  departing,  to  cast  some  seed  into  the 
mind  of  another,  w^hich  shall  "spring  up  and  bring  forth  fruit 
abundantly,"  and  thus  his  work  goes  on ;  and  though  "  all  flesh 
is  grass,  and  the  grass  withereth,  and  the  flower  fadeth/^  still 
'^  the  word  of  the  Lord  endureth  for  ever." 

AUSTRIA. 

During  the  lengthened  period  that  Prince  Metternich  was 
prime  minister,  the  Bible  Society  was  not  permitted  to  take  any 
open  and  active  measures,  in  furtherance  of  its  object  in  this 
country,  up  to  the  year  1847. 

BELGIUM. 

In  Belgium,  a  small  depot  of  Bibles,  only  1000  copies,  were, 
in  1846,  confided  to  the  care  of  a  few  Christian  friends  in  Brus- 
sels ;  but  even  after  twenty  years  there  were  some  remaining, 
which,  at  that  period,  were  freely  given  away.  They  might  have 
deserved  the  name  of  "  dusty  Bibles"  :  not  one  copy  was  to  be 


BELGIUM — PRUSSIA.  307 


found  in  any  of  the  shops  of  Antwerp  and  Bruges.  The  friends 
of  Bible  circulation  must  here  look  to  the  second  era  of  the  so- 
ciety, for  cheering  and  abundant  success. 

As  the  work  of  the  Bible  Society  in  parts  of  Germany,  Prussia, 
Poland,  and  Switzerland,  has  already  been  noticed,  it  is  not 
necessary  to  say  more  than  that,  although  (in  the  words  of  Dr, 
Steinkopff )  "  there  was  only  one  Leander  Van  Ess,"  still  many 
faithful  men  were,  during  all  this  period,  labouring  among  the 
Koman  Catholic  as  well  as  the  Protestant  population  of  these 
countries,  and  that  vast  numbers  of  copies  of  the  Scripture  were 
granted  to  the  strong,  personal  desire  of  the  people.  Dr.  Pinker- 
ton,  however,  in  his  correspondence  attached  to  the  twenty-sixth 
Beport,  speaks  of  comparatively  little  being  effected,  because  of 
the  powerful  opposition  made  by  the  priests.  "  They  take  up  the 
books,  examine  them,  and  exclaim,  '  These  are  Protestant  books, 
good  for  nothing  but  for  the  fire  !'  while,  from  the  blind  submis- 
sion of  the  people,  they  seldom  fail  to  make  it  known  at  confession 
when  a  Testament  has  been  given  to  them,  and  this  generally 
leads  to  their  being  deprived  of  it." 

In  Italy,  Spain,  and  Portugal,  '^  doubly  barred  countries  against 
the  entrance  of  Divine  truth,"  little  also  was  accomplished,  or, 
indeed,  directly  attempted  before  the  year  1835,  except  grants  to 
prisoners  of  war  from  those  regions,  and  some  small  circulation  of 
Testaments  in  their  colonial  possessions.  But  we  have  not  yet 
approached  the  vast  empire  of — 

RUSSIA, 

With  its  surface  of  more  than  half  that  of  Europe,  embracing 
about  one-seventh  of  the  whole  land  of  the  earth,  and  about  one- 
thirteenth  of  its  entire  inhabitants; — Russia,  with  its  spreading 
corn  fields,  its  absolute  monarchy,  its  mixed  population,  its  state 
of  serfdom,  and  its  slowly  but  certainly  extending  power. 

You  will  ask,  Was  there  a  Bible  Society  in  Russia  ?  Yes.  It 
began  in  the  province  of  Finland,  in  1812  ;  and  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society  made  it  a  donation  of  550/.,  to  which  th« 


808  THE    BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


Emperor  of  Russia  added  5000  roubles  from  his  private  purse. 
This,  iu  the  following  year,  gave  rise  to  its  noble  sister  Society  of 
St,  Petersburg,  which,  for  fourteen  years,  exercised  so  powerful  an 
influence  for  good  over  the  extensive  empire  of  the  czar.  During 
these  fourteen  years,  it  translated  the  Scriptures  or  parts  of  them 
into  seventeen  languages,  in  which  they  had  not  been  previously 
known.  It  printed  them  in  thirty  languages,  and  circulated  them 
in  forty-five. 

In  1806,  not  one  in  a  thousand  of  the  people  of  Russia  could 
read,  and  it  was  generally  known  a  hundred  versts  off,  where  the 
treasure  of  a  Bible  was  to  be  found.  In  ten  years  the  Russian 
Bible  Society  issued  more  than  800,000  copies ! 

We  will  give  you  an  interesting  extract  from  the  speech  of 
Prince  Galitzin,  at  the  seventh  anniversary  of  the  Russian  Bible 
Society : 

^'  A  most  striking  feature  in  the  accounts  of  that  vast  field,  in 
which  the  word  of  life  is  now  sowing,  is  the  indefatigable  zeal 
exhibited  in  preparing  versions  of  the  Holy  Scriptures :  this  is 
manifest  in  Russia.  In  the  different  governments,  both  near  and 
remote, — in  the  desert,  and  in  the  village, — in  snow-clad  Siberia, 
and  upon  the  mountains  of  Caucasus  and  Uralia, — are  to  be  found 
lovers  of  the  word  of  God,  who,  of  their  own  accord,  and  without 
selfish  views  of  gain,  are  engaged  in  the  work  af  translating  the 
Gospels  and  other  parts  of  the  Bible  into  the  various  languages 
and  dialects  spoken  by  the  tribes  who  inhabit  Russia, — people 
who  never  before  even  heard  of  this  Divine  word.'' 

An  imperial  ukase,  in  1813,  decreed  and  authorized  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Bible  Society ;  but,  alas  !  in  1826,  another  ukase 
of  another  emperor  appeared  to  suppress  it.  In  the  mean  time  it 
had  circulated  at  the  rate  of  one  copy  at  least  to  every  twentieth 
family  in  the  wide  empire. 

The  most  important  benefit  conferred  on  its  own  country  by  this 
institution,  while  it  existed,  was  the  bestowment  of  the  New 
Testament,  and  the  book  of  Psalms,  and  the  first  eight  books  of 
the  Old  Testament,  in  the  modern  Russ,  on  the  poor  serfs,  who 
thcrebv  obtained  the  knowledge  of  the  wonderful  works  of  (lod 


BIBLE   IN    RUSSIA.  309 


in  tlieir  own  tongue.  The  numbers  printed  were  324,000.  This 
seed  of  the  kingdom  seems  buried ;  but  the  Lord  can  yet  quicken 
it  again,  and  cause  it  to  spring  up  and  bring  forth  fruit  to  the 
praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace.  A  measure  of  patronage,  we 
are  thankful  to  say,  is  still  extended  by  the  czar  to  the  different 
Bible  Institutions  established  in  the  provinces  of  the  Baltic,  and 
security  is  insured  to  the  agents  labouring  on  the  banks  of  the 
Black  Sea  and  the  Sea  of  Azoph. 

The  letters  of  Dr.  Pinkerton,  and  also  of  Mr.  Paterson,  during 
this  period,  witness  to  their  labours  in  the  northern  kingdoms  of 
Europe.  Could  all  that  they  have  detailed  concerning  the  Book 
and  its  Story,  in  Russia,  in  the  times  when  sixteen  wagon-loads 
of  Bibles  and  Testaments  were  despatched  in  a  month  from  the 
capital  to  different  parts  of  the  empire,  it  might  move  the  heart 
of  the  present  emperor  to  pass  a  third  ukase,  decreeing  that  those 
times  should  return. 

The  following  incident  may  serve  as  a  specimen,  though  it  ought 
possibly  to  find  a  place  among  the  records  of  the  desire  of  the 
heathen  to  become  possessed  of  the  word  of  God  :  it  took  place 
in  1818. 

A  member  of  the  St.  Petersburg  committee  sent  a  copy  of  a 
single  Calmuc  Gospel  to  a  Buriat  prince  in  Siberia,  a  vast  district 
of  Asiatic  Russia,  to  see  if  his  people  could  understand  it.  The 
prince  replied,  that  they  could  not.  It  was  the  first  specimen 
they  had  seen  of  Calmuc  typography.  A  long  while  afterward, 
a  letter  brought  the  pleasing  intelligence  to  St.  Petersburg,  that 
the  Buriats  had  found  the  key,  and  could  make  out  the  sense  of 
the  Calmuc  Gospel.  His  excellency  Prince  Galitzin  then  wrotu 
to  the  Governor  of  Irkutsh,  begging  he  would  appoint  two  learned 
Buriats  to  come  to  St.  Petersburg,  and  accommodate  the  version 
of  the  Calmuc  Gospel  to  their  native  dialect. 

Two  of  their  chiefs,  persons  of  high  family,  and  very  intelli- 
gent and  inquisitive,  accordingly  came,  and  occupied  themselveii 
with  the  translation  of  what  they  impressively  called  ''the  beau- 
tiful  sayings  of  Jesus ;"  and  such  was  the  immediate  effect  of  theii 
occupation  on  their  minds,  that  when  tliey  turned  to  pray  to  theii 


310  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


idols,  as  usual,  they  felt  an  internal  disquietude,  of  which  they 
had  never  before  been  conscious,  and  requested  to  be  more  per- 
fectly informed  of  the  nature  of  the  gospel. 

Their  letter  to  their  prince,  in  Siberia,  is  very  affecting :  they 
say— 

"  By  your  kind  endeavours,  we  have  reached  the  city  of  St. 
Petersburg,  where  shines  the  brightness  of  the  holy  doctrine,  and 
here  we  have  seen  and  heard  the  sacred  words  of  the  most  high 
and  saving  God.  That  we  should  ever  see  and  hear  such  things, 
we  never  before  had  an  idea. 

^'  The  word  of  God  being  so  very  clear,  we  cannot  sufficiently 
admire  it ;  and  we  feel  that  it  is  truth  which  may  be  relied  upon. 
This  vehicle  of  a  reasonable  faith,  this  pearl  of  a  devout  heart,  al- 
though existing  1800  years  upon  earth,  has  not  hitherto  come  to 
our  Mongols  and  Buriats. 

'^  When,  by  the  grace  of  God,  our  people  shall  forsake  their 
own  faith,  and  receive  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  they  will,  under  'the 
light  and  easy  yoke,'  adopt  a  good  conversation  and  good  manners. 
We  are  fully  and  firmly  resolved  to  receive  the  doctrine  of  the 
saving  God,  Jesus  Christ,  although  we  are  not  yet  acquainted  with 
the  manners  and  usages  of  his  religion ;  and  when  we  return  home 
we  shall  find  no  teacher  upon  whose  breast  we  could  lean  our 
head,  neither  any  house  of  God ;  yet  after  the  conviction  we  have 
obtained  of  the  truth  of  the  word  of  God,  we  can  no  longer  endure 
the  want  of  it:  we  must  abide  by  this  doctrine. 

^'  We  hope  that  our  gracious  sovereign,  when  he  shall  hear  that 
his  subjects  on  the  outermost  borders  of  his  kingdom  have  adopted 
Christianity,  will  favour  us  with  wise  and  worthy  teachers." 

It  must  be  mentioned,  that  what  is  called  a  Protestant  Bible 
Society  is  still  existing  in  Russia,  and  confirmed  by  the  emperor. 
This  was  formed,  in  1828,  to  supply  the  Protestants  in  Russia 
with  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

TURKEY,  EUROPEAN   AND   ASIATIC. 

The  first  circumstance  that  attracted  attention  to  this  country 
wa$  an  application  from  Edinburgh,  in  1807,  to  assist  in  procuring 


TURKEY,  EUROPEAN   AND   ASIATIC.  311 


Arabic  types  and  paper,  for  printing  the  New  Testament  in  Turk- 
ish. The  importance  of  this  undertaking  was  felt  from  tho 
knowledge  of  the  fact,  that  Turkish  was  spoken  throughout  the 
whole  of  that  empire,  and  in  the  greater  part  of  Persia,  besides 
beino;  the  written  language  understood  by  all  the  numerous  Tartar 
tribes.  The  request  was  readily  complied  with,  and  the  work 
completed  in  1813. 

Two  years  afterward,  the  committee  became  aware  of  the 
existence  of  the  very  valuable  manuscript  of  the  Turkish  Bible 
written  by  Aii  Bey,  and  lying  in  the  museum  at  Leydeu.  The 
history  of  this  manuscript  and  of  its  revision  is  as  follows : 

Ali  Bey  was  born  in  Poland,  stolen  while  a  youth  by  the 
Tartars,  and  sold  as  a  slave  in  Constantinople.  He  spent  twenty 
years  in  the  seraglio,  became  first  dragoman  or  translator  to  Mo- 
hammed IV.,  and  was  said  to  understand  seventeen  languages. 

At  the  suggestion  of  the  Dutch  ambassador,  Ali  Bey  translated 
the  entire  Scriptures  into  Turkish.  The  study  of  the  sacrec? 
volume  was  not  without  effect  on  the  translator.  It  is  recorded, 
that  he  entertained  thoughts  of  turning  to  the  profession  of  Chris* 
tianity,  and  that  death  only  prevented  the  accomplishment  of  his 
design.  When  this  version  was  ready  for  the  press,  the  Dutch 
ambassador  sent  it  to  Leyden  to  be  printed;  but  it  was  deposited 
in  the  archives  of  the  university,  among  other  oriental  manuscripts, 
and  there  it  lay  for  a  century  and  a  half,  apparently  unnoticed. 

When  its  existence  became  known  to  the  British  and  Foreigp 
Bible  Society,  they  recommended  it  to  the  attention  of  Dr.  Pinker- 
ton  ;  and  he,  having  satisfied  himself  that  it  was  a  worthy  trans- 
lation, placed  it  in  the  hands  of  the  Baron  Von  Diez,  a  Turkish 
scholar  of  great  eminence,  who  with  pious  delight  undertook  te 
revise  it.  The  baron  says,  "I  wish  with  all  my  heart  that  the 
work  may  be  accomplished  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  good  of 
my  fellow-men.  Only  one  anxious  thought  sometimes  enters  my 
mind  :  I  am  sixty-three  years  of  age;  I  shall  pray  Grod  to  pro- 
bing my  life  till  this  work  be  completed;  for,  should  it  please 
him  to  call  me  away  in  the  midst  of  the  undertaking,  I  certainlj 
know  not  .who  would  carry  it  on  after  my  death." 


812  THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


The  venerable  senator,  however,  died  when  he  had  completed 
but  four  books  of  the  Pentateuch,  and  not  a  little  anxiety  was 
felt  about  providhig  a  suitable  successor;  but,  as  it  was  truly 
observed  by  Lord  Teignmouth,  ^'  The  Bible  Society  has  never 
wanted  means  or  instruments  for  the  furtherance  of  its  ohject, 
whenever  they  were  required."  The  necessary  editor  was  unex- 
pectedly found  in  Professor  Kieffer,  the  professor  of  oriental  lan- 
guages at  Paris.  The  Testament  was  presented  in  a  printed  form 
at  the  Bible  meeting  at  Paris,  in  1819;  but  it  was  not  until 
1828,  that  the  entire  Turkish  Bible,  with  all  its  corrections,  was 
completed  at  press,  of  which  edition  5000  copies  of  the  Bible, 
and  7000  of  the  New  Testament  alone,  have  been  issued  by  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society. 

Br.  Pinkerton  visited  Constantinople  in  1819.  He  gives  an 
account,  in  his  letter  attached  to  the  sixteenth  Report,  of  a  con- 
versation he  had  with  the  venerable  Paul,  the  Armenian  patriarch 
of  Constantinople.  A  vast  Armenian  population  lies  in  and 
around  the  city,  estimated  at  upward  of  100,000  souls;  and  the 
patriarch  undertook  the  dissemination  of  the  Scriptures  among 
them,  and  also  in  Asia  Minor.  The  conversation  was  in  Turkish, 
which  is  the  common  language  of  the  Armenian  population,  and 
the  only  one  properly  understood  by  all  ranks. 

Dr.  Pinkerton  also  conversed  with  the  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem, 
and  secured  his  promise  to  circulate  the  Scriptures  among  the 
pilgrims  who  annually  visit  the  holy  sepulchre,  said  to  be  upward 
of  2000  of  the  Gi-reek  communion  alone;  and  as  these  resort  thither 
from  every  quarter  of  the  East,  an  excellent  opportunit}?^  occurs 
to  sow  the  word  through  their  means.  The  patriarch  promised 
to  give  in  charge,  to  one  of  the  monks  who  attended  at  the  holy 
sepulchre,  a  number  of  New  Testaments,  in  different  languages, 
for  distribution. 

There  were  allotted  for  this  purpose  1000  Modern  Greek,  500 
Ancient  Grreek,  and  500  Arabic  Testaments,  without  money  and 
without  price,  for  the  poor  pilgrims  assembling  round  ^'the  place 
where  the  Lord  lay." 

In  1820,  Mr.  Benjamin  Barker,  the  brother  of  the.  consul  at 


TURKISH   INDOLENCE.  313 


Aleppo,  a  gentleman  whose  knowledge  of  the  country  and  the 
languages  of  Syria  made  the  acquisition  of  his  services  very 
desirable,  became  the  agent  of  the  society,  and  still  continues  to 
be  so. 

Mr,  Barker  at  once  commenced  his  work.  Some  Armenian, 
Turkish,  and  Greek  Scriptures  were  readily  bought  up,  and  many 
of  the  Armenian  copies  found  their  way  to  Diarbekir.  The  result 
of  this  distribution  lay  a  long  time  concealed;  but  the  success 
which  has  since  attended  the  labours  of  the  American  missionaries 
in  the  East,  especially  among  the  Armenians,  is  greatly  accounted 
for  by  the  circulation  of  the  Scriptures  which  took  place  at  this 
period. 

In  forming  an  idea  of  Turkey  in  Europe,  a  country  which  com- 
prehends a  space  of  200,000  square  miles,  and  a  population  of 
15,000,000,  we  have  to  think  of  the  Turks  as  its  despotic  masters, 
who,  while  they  treat  the  Armenians,  Jews,  and  Greeks  within 
their  territories  very  scornfully,  yet  form  themselves  but  a  minority 
in  their  own  country.  There  is  said  to  be  so  little  strength  in 
the  Turkish  empire  itself,  that  it  would  probably  have  been  de- 
stroyed long  ere  this,  but  for  the  interference  and  support  of 
other  powers. 

Its  great  rival  is  Russia,  from  whose  encroachments  it  has, 
however,  a  sort  of  natural  shelter  in  the  Balkan  range  of  moun- 
tains, which  the  Turks  call  ^^Emineh  Dagh,"  meaning  ''the 
mountains  that  serve  as  a  defence.'^ 

The  indolent  repose  of  the  Turkish  character  is  so  capitally 
given  by  Mr.  Layard,  the  discoverer  of  Nineveh,  at  the  close  of 
his  last  book,  that  we  must  transcribe  a  portion  of  a  letter,  he 
says  he  has  in  his  possession,  from  a  Turkish  cadi,  in  reply  to 
some  inquiries  concerning  the  commerce,  population,  and  remains* 
of  antiquity,  of  an  ancient  city  in  which  he  dwelt : — 

"The  thing  you  ask  of  me  is  both  difficult  and  useless. 
Although  I  have  passed  all  my  days  in  this  place,  I  have  neither 
counted  the  houses  nor  have  I  inquired  into  the  number  of  the 
inhabitants ;  and  as  to  what  one  person  loads  on  his  mules,  or 
another  stows  away  in  the  bottom  of  his  ship,  that  is  no  business 


314  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


of  mine.  But,  above  all,  as  to  the  previous  history  of  this  city! 
Allah  only  knows  the  amount  of  dirt  and  confusion  that  the  infi- 
dels may  have  eaten  before  the  coming  of  the  sword  of  Islam  !— 
it  were  unprofitable  for  us  to  inquire  into  it. 

"Oh,  my  soul !  oh,  my  lamb  !  seek  not  after  the  things  which 
concern  thee  not :  go  in  peace  !  After  the  fashion  of  thy  people,, 
thou  hast  wandered  from  one  place  to  another,  until  thou  art  happ^y 
and  content  in  none.  We  (praise  be  to  Allah !)  were  born  here, 
and  never  desire  to  quit.  Is  it  possible,  then,  that  the  idea  of  a 
general  intercourse  between  mankind  should  make  any  impression 
on  our  understandings  ?     Allah  forbid  ! 

^•Listen,  oh,  my  son!  There  is  no  wisdom  equal  to  the  belief 
in  God.  Thou  art  learned  in  the  things  that  I  care  not  for.  I 
praise  God,  that  I  seek  not  that  which  I  require  not.  Thine,  the 
meek  in  spirit, — Imaum  Ali  Zade." 

Besides  these  lazy  lords  of  the  soil,  there  are  in  Turkey  more 
gipsies  than  in  any  other  country  of  Europe,  vast  numbers,  as  we 
have  seen,  of  Armenian  merchants,  and  great  numbers  of  Jews. 

In  1828,  Professor  Kiefier  finished  his  most  careful  revision 
of  the  Turkish  Bible  for  all  these  mixed  races.  He  corrected 
the  sheets  six  times,  as  they  passed  through  the  press. 

In  1826,  Mr.  Barker  speaks  of  most  of  the  Armenians  at 
Aleppo,  and  nearly  all  the  servants,  knowing  how  to  read,  though 
in  general  very  poor;  and  in  1827,  he  says,  that,  "at  Smyrna, 
French  officers  and  other  Roman  Catholics  daily  call  for  Bibles 
and  Testaments,  contrary  to  the  express  command  of  Home  not 
to  do  so;  yet,"  he  adds,  "the  difficulty  of  supplying  such  vast 
tracts  of  country  with  the  word  of  God  can  scarcely  be  conceived 
by  an  Englishman  not  acquainted  with  these  barbarous  regions. 
It  appears  an  easy  task,  perhaps,  to  those  who  are  only  familiar 
with  their  own  favoured  country,  where  thousands  are  ready  to 
exert  their  faculties  in  aiding  the  circulation  of  the  Sacred  Scrip- 
tures; but  an  agent  of  the  Bible  Societ}^,  here,  must  do  almost 
all  Jus  tuorJc  himself,  unless  he  can  engage  a  few  friends,  as  a 
favour,  to  render  him  a  little  help." 

In  all  his  transactions,  also,  the  Bible  agent  must  keep  a  vigi* 


TOILSOMifi   LABOURS.  315 


lant  eye  over  liis  own  conduct,  so  that  he  does  not,  by  some  im- 
prudent step,  excite  the  feelings  of  the  authorities  against  him 
"I  could,  likewise,''  says  Mr.  Barker,  '^give  a  long  account  of 
the  miseries  experienced  in  travelling  here.  Under  the  scorching 
rays  of  an  eastern  sun,  the  traveller  is  deprived  oftentimes  of 
common  food  and  water.  He  arrives  late  at  night  at  a  dirty 
coffee-house,  occupied  already  by  a  number  of  savage  and  fanatical 
Turks ;  he  carries  with  him  the  piece  of  carpet  which  forms  his 
only  bed,  and  all  night  is  attacked  by  hosts  of  vermin.  To  this 
may  be  added  the  perils  of  the  journey.  You  may  often  meet 
with  disbanded  soldiers,  who  scruple  not  to  rob  you  and  take 
away  your  life, — the  fording  of  rivers  and  torrents, — the  plague, — 
unhealthy  climes, — and  the  sad  prospect,  should  you  fall  ill,  of 
being  without  medical  advice  or  attendance,  as  was  the  case  with 
poor  Henry  Marty n  at  Tocat."  All  these  are  incidents  in  the 
life  of  a  foreign  Bible  agent  in  such  places  as  the  chain  of  Taurus, 
or  on  the  skirts  of  the  desert  of  Arabia, — incidents  which  make 
the  patient  toil  of  an  English  Bible  collector  seem  light  and  easy. 
To  these  may  be  added,  such  separations  from  home  and  its  feli- 
cities as  are  recorded  in  Dr.  Pinkerton's  letters  from  St.  Peters- 
burg, in  1820:  ''After  travelling  four  days  and  nights  from 
Moscow,  I  reached  my  home  yesterday,  and  to  my  great  joy 
found  my  beloved  wife  and  three  children  in  good  health.  I 
leave  the  fathers  in  your  committee  to  judge,  for  they  are  best 
capable  of  doing  so,  of  our  gratitude  to  our  heavenly  Father  for 
this  safe  meeting,  after  a  separation  of  twenty  long  months.  What 
changes  had  taken  place  even  in  my  own  fjimily  during  that 
period ! — changes  so  numerous  and  great,  and  many  of  them  so 
distressing,  that  I  was  alternately  roused  to  every  feeling  of  re- 
gret, of  sympathy,  of  thankfulness,  and  of  praise,  of  which  my 
neart  was  capable !  How  often  had  I  looked  death  in  the  face 
during  this  long  interval!  [He  had  once  slept  on  a  mattress 
infected  with  the  plague.]  How  many  hundred  horses  have 
borne  me  along  my  course !  Not  fewer  than  eleven  different 
vessels  have  carried  me  from  continent  to  continent,  and  from 
isle  to  isle,  during  the  last  twelve  months,  frequently  in  distress 


316  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


and  sickness,  but  still  preserved  to  praise  the  Redeemer  of  men^ 
who  suffered  not  a  hair  of  my  head  to  be  touched  by  the  hand  of 
violence,  nor  a  bone  of  my  body  to  be  broken  by  any  unfortunate 
accident." 

A  foreign  Bible  agent  needs  a  heart  warmly  devoted  to  his 
work,  but  it  is  work  that  recompenses  him  for  every  privation. 
''New  opportunities  are  constantly  occurring  here,''  says  Mr. 
Barker  in  1827,  "for  a  wider  circulation  of  the  word  of  Grod; 
and  should  we  be  blessed  with  tranquillity,  we  shall  hail  the  op- 
portunity of  beginning  to  diffuse  Christian  knowledge  even  among 
the  Turks." 

Turkey  in  Asia  comprises  450,000  square  miles,  but  only  a 
population  of  10,000,000,  including  Kurds  and  Bedouin  Arabs, — 
the  old,  unchanged,  wild  men  of  the  desert,  with  whom  we  began 
the  Story  of  the  Book,  and  including  alike  Mesopotamia  and 
Palestine,  the  cradle  lands  of  Judaism  and  Christianity;  there- 
fore, Turkey   in   Asia  is   the   most  interesting   country  in    the 

world, — 

*'  Over  whose  acres  walk'd  those  blessed  feet, 
"Which  eighteen  hundred  years  ago  were  nail'd 
For  our  advantage  on  the  bitter  cross." 

It  is  also  the  seat  of  the  old  Assyrian  and  Babylonian  empires. 

Could  England  ever  do  too  much  to  repay  to  this  land  the 
seeds  of  blessing  which  she  has  received  from  it  ? 

GREECE. 

The  work  of  the  Bible  Society  in  Greece  was  principally 
carried  on  from  Malta,  by  its  devoted  friends  and  agents,  the 
Kev.  W.  Jowett,  Dr.  Naudi,  Rev.  H.  D.  Leeves,  and  Mr. 
Lowndes.  Mr.  Jowett  wrote  thus,  while  Burckhardt  was  yet 
alive,  in  1819:  '^AYe  reap  now,  in  the  successes  of  our  noble 
coadjutor,  in  the  formation  of  the  Smyrna  Bible  Society,  and  in 
the  pledges  of  co-operation  given  us  in  various  parts  of  Asia 
Minor  and  Greece,  an  ample  reward  of  our  first  year's  pleasing 
toil.  Ought  we  not  to  be  stimulated  and  encouraged  to  redouble 
our  labours  in  this  holy  work  ?     Surrounded  by  three  continents , 


SOUTH   AMERICA.  817 


in  eacli  of  which  there  exist  such  multitudes  of  souls  wholly  desti- 
tute of  the  word  of  life,  let  us  forget  even  our  past  successes,  and 
press  forward  in  the  work  of  faith,  hope,  and  charity  !" 

SOUTH   AMERICA. 

We  shall  now  turn  to  this  vast  region,  and  its  Catholic  coun- 
tries. We  can  only  name  them  :  Brazil,  colonized  by  Portugal ; 
Colombia,  Peru,  Bolivia,  Chili,  and  La  Plata,  colonies  of  Spain. 
Mexico,  in  North  America,  and  Cuba,  an  island  of  the  West 
Indies,  were  also  colonized  by  Spain.  It  is  too  wide  a  field  to 
enter  upon,  more  than  to  notice  it  as  an  example  of  a  country, 
where  religion,  once  known,  has  become  extinct,  because  the  Bible 
was  withheld  from  it  by  those  who  nominally  converted  it  to  the 
faith.  The  people  of  South  America  and  Japan  have,  since  their 
so-called  conversion,  been  sunk  in  the  darkest  superstition. 
"  The  light  was  put  under  a  bushel  by  the  men  who  introduced 
it  into  the  house,  and  then  the  light  itself,  such  as  it  was, 
perished.'^* 

In  the  eighteenth  Report  of  the  society  is  the  following  notice : — 
"  The  Bible  has  found  a  new  and  unexpected  inlet  into  an  unfre- 
quented region  of  South  America.  A  chieftain  of  Patagonia  has 
been  discovered  in  possession  of  a  New  Testament,  printed  by  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society.  He  procured  it  at  Buenos 
Ayres,  whither  he  went  to  trade,  and  thence  conveyed  it  to  his 
home,  that  he  might  explain  its  contents  to  his  fellow  countrymen. 

'^  A  native  of  Rio  Negro  was  also  so  pleased  by  a  copy  of  the 
New  Testament,  that  he  requested  more  from  Buenos  Ayres.  In 
the  region  of  Rio  de  la  Plata  and  Chili,  at  Rio  de  Janeiro  and 
Pernambuco,  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  Scriptures  are  sought 
with  eagerness,  and  received  with  gratitude.*' 

A  small  auxiliary  had  been  formed  at  Buenos  Ayres,  and  sup- 
plies of  the  Scriptures  transmitted  to  the  Brazils,  Chili,  and 
Peru,  for  the  labourers  in  the  salt  mines  at  Bona  Vista,  who, 
Beating  themselves  in  the  shade,  while  resting  from  their  work  at 

*  "Bible  of  Many  Tongues,"  published  by  the  Tract  Society. 

27* 


818  THE    BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


noon,  might  often  be  seen  reading  the  New  Testament  most  de- 
voutly to  one  another;  but,  as  this  is  also  America's  own  Bible 
and  mission  field,  we  must  leave  its  detail,  with  the  exception  of 
a  quotation  from  the  letter  of  an  agent  of  the  American  Society, 
and  one  of  Dr.  Thomson's  letters,  the  agent  for  some  years  of 
our  own  society. 

The  American  agent  says :  ^^What  are  these  people? — ^beings 
professedly  Christian,  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Trinity,  and 
yet  almost  entirely  without  the  Bible!  By  the  efforts  of  this 
society  and  that  of  England,  they  have,  it  is  true,  within  a  few 
years  received  seven  or  eight  thousand  copies  of  this  holy  Book, 
but,  ^  what  are  these  among  so  many  V — scarcely  a  single  copy  to 
2000  souls  !  Throughout  the  long  road  from  Buenos  Ayres  to 
Chili,  except  a  very  few  in  Mendoza,  not  a  solitary  copy  of  the 
Book  of  God  was  found ;  and  I  more  than  once  presented  copies 
to  aged  priests,  tottering  over  the  grave,  who  told  me  they  had 
never  before  seen  it  in  their  native  tongue.  In  the  interior  of  the 
country,  some  told  me  that  they  never  before  were  aware  that 
the  Scriptures  existed  in  their  own  language.  Yet  the  Bible  is 
here  no  longer  excluded  by  royal  mandates  and  by  papal  bulls. 
The  nf  T  governments  are  not  only  willing,  but  anxious,  that  the 
Scriptures  should  have  a  general  circulation.  The  work  here  is 
more  than  sufficient  for  the  united  energies  of  both  the  American 
and  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Societies.'' 

In  anticipating  the  arrival  of  some  supplies  from  Vera  Cruz, 
Dr.  Thomson  writes  :  '^  Surely  it  is  a  new  thing  in  this  land,  to 
see  twenty-four  mules,  loaded  with  Bibles  and  Testaments,  mak- 
ing their  way  up  the  mountains  and  through  the  woods  into  the 
interior !"  This  active  agent  gives  a  most  interesting  account 
of  his  favourable  reception  in  a  convent  at  Queretaro,  where  even 
some  friars  had  no  objection  to  receive  the  lamp  for  their  feet  in 
this  dark  world.  They,  however,  greatly  objected,  as  the  people 
do  in  most  Roman  Catholic  countries,  to  the  omission  of  the 
Apocrypha.  Dr.  Thomson  distributed,  during  his  journey  of 
two  years,  4235  copies.  He  had  to  contend  with  great  difficul- 
ties     The  authorities  of  the  church  first  countenanced  his  ob- 


SOUTH   AMERICA.  81 


jects;  but  when  they  found  the  Bible  Society's  Bibles  without 
note,  comment,  or  apocryphal  books,  their  benevolent  feelings 
were  thoroughly  changed,  and  an  edict  was  issued  prohibiting  the 
Scriptures,  and  ordering  those  received  to  be  given  up. 

In  Roman  Catholic  countries,  this  constitutes  a  great  hinderance 
to  the  society's  operations  up  to  the  present  day.  They  could 
distribute  many  more  copies  if  the  different  books  which  com- 
pose the  Scriptures  were  intermixed  and  bound  up  with  the  apo- 
cryphal books,  as  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Bibles ;  but  the  society 
cannot  do  this.  It  is  their  fundamental  principle  to  circulate 
the  pure  word  of  God,  icliole  and  alone.  In  182(5,  they  made 
fresh  and  distinct  resolutions  to  abide  by  this  fundamental  prin- 
ciple ;  and,  further,  not  to  make  any  more  grants  to  any  Bible 
Society  circulating  the  Apocrypha,  which  necessarily  closed  the 
connection  between  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  and 
many  of  the  Bible  Societies  on  the  continent. 

To  those  who  read  the  Bible,  the  evidence  is  obvious,  that  the 
apocryphal  books  are  of  mere  human  composition ;  but  the  pre- 
judice in  their  favour  abroad,  and  among  those  who  have  been 
educated  ^s  Roman  Catholics,  would  seem  to  be  irresistible ;  and 
a  suspicion  arises  in  their  minds,  which  the  priests  foster,  that 
our  Bibles  are  not  perfect,  and  that,  if  we  have  kept  back  some 
books,  we  have  perhaps  also  altered  those  we  have  printed. 
England  can  only  say,  "  May  God  defend  the  right !"  and  in  the 
mean  time  we  must  adhere  to  the  principle  of  the  old  Yaudois 
Church — ^The  Bible — wJwle  and  alone, 

THE  MOHAMMEDAN  COUNTRIES. 
And  now  we  approach  the  fourth  division  of  the  world's  inha- 
bitants,— the  Mohammedan  countries.  It  is  supposed  that  there 
are  eight  millions  of  Mohammedans  in  Europe.  The  Arabs,  the 
Turks,  and  the  Tartars  have  all  been,  for  more  than  a  thousand 
years,  the  followers  of  a  "  false  prophet,"  who  wrote  a  parody 
upon  the  Bible,  called  "  The  Koran. '^  There  is  no  society  for 
circulating  the  Koran  :  the  believers  in  it  hide  it  from  the  pollu- 
ting  touch  of  the  Christian ;  but  we  have  given  them  our  Bihle^ 


320  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY, 


in  their  own  tongue;  and,  as  Wiclif  said  to  Courtenay, — some 
day  "  truth  shall  prevail/' 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  balculate  with  any  degree  of  accuracy 
the  number  of  people  by  whom  Arabic  is  spoken.  Arabia  itself 
may  have  twelve  millions  of  inhabitants;  but  Arabic  is  also 
spoken  in  Syria,  Mesopotamia,  in  part  of  Persia,  on  the  Malabar 
and  Coromandel  coasts,  in  Egypt,  in  Nubia,  and  in  Barbary. 

Arabic  is  also  extensively  used,  as  the  language  of  religion  and 
commerce,  in  Western,  Eastern,  and  Central  Africa;  and  before 
the  missionaries  had  reduced  some  of  the  African  dialects  to 
writing,  Arabic  was  the  orly  written  language  known  to  the  na- 
tives of  that  vast  continent. 

Arabic,  as  the  language  of  the  Koran,  is  venerated  and  studied, 
from  the  w'estcrn  confines  of  Spain  and  Africa  to  the  Philippine 
Islands,  over  130  degrees  of  latitude,  and  from  the  tropic  of 
Capricorn  to  Tartary,  over  seventy  degrees  of  longitude.* 

Henry  Martyn  felt  all  this  when  he  undertook  his  new  version 
of  the  Arabic  Testament.  *'  We  w^ill  begin  to  preach,^'  said  that 
devoted  missionary,  "to  Arabia,  Syria,  Persia,  Tartary,  part  of 
India  and  China,  half  of  Africa,  all  the  seacoast  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean and  Turkey,  and  one  tongue  shall  suffice  for  them  all.** 

It  was  in  Arabia  that  the  great  apostle  of  the  Gentiles  com- 
menced his  ministry  :  "  When  it  pleased  God,  who  called  me  by 
his  gmce,  to  reveal  his  Son  in  me,  that  I  might  preach  him 
among  the  heathen,  immediately  I  conferred  not  with  flesh  and 
blood,  neither  went  I  up  to  Jerusalem,  but  I  went  into  Arabia." 
Gal.  i.  15-17. 

Whatever  seed  the  apostle  sowed  there,  the  tares  have  since 
sprung  up  and  choked  it. 

From  the  year  1811,  the  Bible  Society  attempted  to  present 
versions  of  the  Scriptures  in  Arabic,  reprinted  from  various  pre- 
vious editions;  but  much  prejudice  existing  against  them  among 
the  Mohammedans,  the  need  of  an  improved  translation,  so  long 
and  deeply  felt  by  the  Eastern  churches,  has  at  length  been  md 

*  Butler's  "  Hor»  Biblicae." 


THE    MOHAMMEDAN    COUNTRIES.  321 


by  tlie  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge.  This  Wdi 
begun  in  1839,  and  has  been  executed  at  Malta  by  Mr.  Fares, 
one  of  the  most  learned  Arabic  scholars  of  the  East. 

A  version  of  the  New  Testament,  in  Arabic,  consisting  of 
10,000  copies,  was  published  by  the  above-mentioned  society,  in 
1727.  The  copies  of  this  edition  are  now  extremely  rare,  for 
none  of  them  were  sold  in  Europe.  Two,  however,  are  preserved 
in  Cambridge  :  the  greater  part  were  sent  to  Russia,  for  distribu- 
tion in  Mohammedan  countries.  It  must  have  been  some  of 
those  Testaments  which  received  from  an  Arab  the  following 
welcome : — "  He  received  them  almost  in  a  transport  of  joy, 
kissed  them,  and  then  kissed  me  for  their  sake.  He  said  that 
the  persons  who  would  read  them  should  always  wash  their  hands 
three  times  before  they  opened  those  books." 

A  version  of  the  New  Testament,  in  modern  Arabic,  was 
printed  at  Calcutta,  in  1816,  designed  principally  for  the  learned 
and  fastidious  Mohammedans  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  who,  it 
was  thought,  might  have  been  repelled  from  the  study  of  Scrip- 
ture by  the  antiquated  style  of  former  versions.  This  translation  ^ 
was  made  by  a  learned  Arabian  scholar,  the  unhappy  Sabat. 
Henry  Martyn  was  deeply  interested  in  Sabat,  and  the  produc- 
tion of  his  version ;  but  he  did  not  live  to  see  its  completion.  A 
second  edition  was  printed  in  London,  by  the  Bible  Society,  in 
1825,  and  a  third  in  Calcutta,  in  the  following  year. 

This  version,  though  not  considered  perfect  where  the  lan- 
guage is  spoken,  is,  by  various  testimonies,  silently  accomplishing 
the  purposes  of  God.  In  Western  Africa,  the  natives,  on  first 
receiving  the  copies  sent  them  by  the  Bible  Society,  ^'were 
astonished  that  a  white  man  should  have  written  this  book  in 
their  favourite  language. '^  In  the  eleventh  Report  it  is  stated, 
that  the  ready  reception  of  some  Arabic  Bibles  at  Yongroo,  in 
"Western  Africa,  by  the  Mohammedans,  encourages  a  hope  that 
they  may  be  more  extensively  circulated,  and  has  produced  an 
applicatijn  for  a  further  supply.  The  Rev.  O.  Nylander  says: 
**I  presented  an  Arabic  Bible  to  the  King  of  Bullom,  saving, 
^  This  is  the  Book  which  makes  man  wise  and  good  :  it  is  God'g 


822  THE   BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


word.  He  speaks  to  us  in  this  Book  by  Moses,  the  prophets  and 
apostles,  and  by  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.'  The  king  recommended 
to  strangers  this  'white  man's  book.'  Some  time  afterward,  I 
went  to  see  him,  and  found  about  twenty  Mohammedans  sitting 
together  in  deep  conversation,  and  an  aged  Mohammedan  teacher 
in  the  midst  of  them  reading  the  Bible.  This  teacher  visited  me 
himself,  and  likewise  begged  for  a  Bible,  saying,  '  When  I  go 
home,  I  shall  read  this  book  to  all  my  people.'  " 

The  Bev.  William  Jowett  wrote  an  interesting  letter  to  the 
committee  of  the  Malta  Bible  Society,  in  June,  1819,  on  his 
voyage  up  the  Nile.     He  says : — 

"  On  my  arrival  at  Esne,  the  last  bishopric  southward  in  Egypt, 
I  first  opened  my  small  but  invaluable  treasure  of  Bibles.  I 
waited  on  the  bishop,  gave  him  a  copy  of  the  Arabic  Bible,  and 
begged  him  to  recommend  it  among  his  people.  The  price  I 
fixed  was  twenty  piastres,  or  10s.  English,  which  was  quite  a  re- 
duced price,  for  the  people  are  so  poor,  and  money  is  so  scarce  in 
this  country.  There  was  scarcely  any  need  of  soliciting  the 
bishop's  recommendation,  for  the  people,  having  seen  the  book 
and  witnessed  the  pleasure  with  which  he  received  the  present, 
came  immediately  to  buy,  and  I  could  have  disposed  of  my  whole 
stock,  had  I  not  had  to  think  of  other  towns  besides  theirs.  I 
could  only  spare  them  three,  and  it  was  really  painful  to  see  the 
eagerness  with  which  one  after  another  came  to  the  boat  to  ask 
if  I  could  not  let  them  have  one  copy  more  :  yet  I  was  obliged  to 
think  of  the  other  churches. 

"  Stopping  at  Edfu,  I  learned  that  this  was  the  last  town  where 
Christians  (of  the  Coptic  Church)  were  to  be  found.  They  were 
very  miserable  and  poor,  and,  alas  !  none  of  them  could  read.  It 
is  wonderful  how,  under  such  circumstances,  even  the  profession 
of  Christianity  is  kept  up.  Yet  some  of  these  poor  people  show 
their  attachment  to  their  religion,  by  setting  off  on  the  Thursday 
night,  to  be  present  at  vespers  on  Saturday  evening,  and  return 
on  the  Monday  every  week — a  reproach  to  many  in  Christian 
countries,  who  live  within  half  an  hour's  walk  of  a  place  of  wor 
ship,  and  yet  seldom  attend. 


THE    MOHAMMEDAN    COUNTRIES.  323 


''  At  Essouaii;  though  I  found  persons  able  to  r6ad,  yet  T  found 
DO  Christians.  Here,  and  far  higher  up  in  Nubia,  are  numerous 
relics  of  churches  and  convents,  and  other  marks  which  prove 
how  far  Christianity  once  extended  in  these  countries.  It  will  he 
the  blessed  worh  of  Bible  Societies  to  renew  them." 

Afterward,  Mr.  Jowett  passed  a  week  at  Thebes,  commencing 
the  study  of  the  Ethiopic,  in  reference  to  the  Amharic  version, 
under  the  shade  of  trees,  and  amid  those  majestic  ruins.  He 
left  one  Arabic  Bible  at  Luxor,  not  with  the  priest,  to  be  shut  up 
in  the  church,  but  with  a  clerk,  called  Malleni  Jacob,  whose 
nephew  of  twelve  years  of  age  could  read  it, — a  boy  who  loved 
to  sit  and  read  by  himself;  and  he  trusts  that  the  Bible  was  fitly 
bestowed. 

At  Kemner,  a  town  on  the  eastern  bank,  a  Copt,  on  seeing  the 
Arabic  Bible,  recognised  it  as  the  same  that  he  had  bought  of  a 
Jew  in  Cairo.  He  offered  Mr.  Jowett  fifty  instead  of  twenty 
piastres  for  it ;  but  this  the  missionary  refused.  Two  more  copies 
were  sent  him  to  sell,  and  he  said  the  people  '^snatched  them  up 
so  quickly,"  that  he  had  not  one  left  for  himself.  He  was  next 
morning  favoured  with  two  more  copies,  as  the  town  was  a  grand 
thoroughfare  for  Mohammedan  pilgrims. 

The  Bishop  of  Minie  purchased  the  five  remaining  Arabic 
Bibles;  and  thus  closes  the  account  of  the  careful  dispersion  of 
this  precious  seed,  being  twenty-five  sold  in  Upper  Egypt,  and 
fifty-five  in  Cairo.  On  his  return  to  Cairo,  Mr.  Jowett  was  imme- 
diately asked  if  had  any  more  to  dispose  of."^  Further  details 
are  equally  inviting. 

The  number  of  Arabs  in  Egypt  alone  is  estimated  at  from 
two-and-a-half  to  four  millions.  Moorish  Arabic,  into  which 
dialect  a  very  recent  translation  of  the  Scriptures  had  been  made, 
is  spoken  by  ten  millions  of  people  in  Morocco,  and  by  thirty 
millions  in  that  and  the  adjacent  regions,  all  Mohammedans,  and 
^'  inaccessible  to  the  distribution  of  the  Scriptures.^' 

Abdallah,  an  Arabian  of  noble  birth,  was  converted  from  .tg. 

«  See  Report,  1 820, 


324  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


lamism  by  the  simple  perusal  of  the  Bible.  When  his  conversion 
became  known,  Abdallah,  to  escape  the  vengeance  of  his  country- 
men, fled  from  Cabul  in  disguise,  but  was  met  and  recognised  at 
Bokhara  by  Sabat,  the  translator  before  mentioned.  Abdallab, 
perceiving  his  danger,  threw  himself  at  the  feet  of  his  friend, 
and  besought  him,  by  all  the  ties  of  their  former  intimacy,  to  save 
his  life.  "Butj'^said  Sabat,  ^^I  had  no  pity.  I  delivered  him 
up  to  Morad  Shah,  king  of  Bokhara." 

Abdallah  was  offered  his  life  if  he  would  abjure  Christ ;  but  he 
refused.  Then  one  of  his  hands  was  cut  off;  and  a  physician, 
by  command  of  tlie  king,  offered  to  heal  the  wound  if  be  would 
recant.  ''  He  made  no  answer,"  said  Sabat,  "  but  looked  up 
steadfastly  toward  heaven,  like  Stephen  the  first  martyr,  his  eyes 
streaming  with  tears.  He  did  not  look  with  anger  toward  me  ;  he 
looked  at  me,  but  it  was  with  a  countenance  of  forgiveness.  His 
other  hand  was  then  cut  off;  but,"  continued  Sabat,  ^^he  never 
changed,  he  never  changed  !  And  when  he  bowed  his  head  to 
receive  the  blow  of  death,  all  Bokhara  seemed  to  say,  What  new 
thing  is  this  ?"  Sabat  had  indulged  the  hope  that  Abdallah  would 
recant  when  offered  his  life ;  but  when  he  saw  that  his  friend  was 
dead,  he  gave  himself  up  to  grief  and  remorse.  He  himself 
twice  professed,  and  twice  abjured  Christianity. 

HEATHEN    COUNTRIES. 

And  now  we  must  turn,  at  last,  to  the  heathen  or  pagan  coun- 
tries,— the  fifth  division  of  the  world's  population,  and  by  far  its 
largest  portion, — to  China,  with  its  350,000,000  !  Japan,  with  its 
25,000,000  :  India,  with  its  130,000,000  !  the  greater  part  of 
Africa,  Australia,  and  Polynesia ; — and  what  has  the  Bible  Society 
begun  to  do  for  these  ? 

You  must  perceive,  that  the  first  thing  it  had  to  do  for  them 
all  was,  to  procure  such  a  Bible  as  they  could  read,  or  to  assist 
and  encourage  those  who  were  translating  it.  We  will  tell  you 
wkat  various  missionaries  said  about  their  own  work  of  translation. 

Those  who  have  never  attempted  to  translate  from  one  lanj^age 


HEATHEN    COUNTRIES.  325 


into  another,  or  whose  efforts  have  been  limited  to  rendering  a 
Latin  or  French  fable  into  English,  can  form  but  an  imperfect  idea 
of  the  difficulties  to  be  surmounted  in  making  a  version  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures  in  the  language  of  an  idolatrous  people.  Of  a 
fable,  or  a  story,  it  would  be  sufficient  to  give  the  general  sense. 
The  narrative  might  be  presented  in  an  entirely  new  dress,  and 
yet  be  equally  acceptable  ;  but  no  such  license  may  be  allowed  in 
the  translation  of  the  word  of  God !  In  this  case,  the  minutest 
shades  of  thought  must  be  transferred,  if  possible,  from  the 
original. 

But  how  is  this  to  be  accomplished  in  the  language  of  a  people 
who  have  had,  up  to  that  time,  no  ideas  conformable  to  the  sub- 
jects of  which  the  Bible  speaks,  and  who  have  not,  therefore,  of 
course,  any  words  to  express  such  ideas  ? 

How  would  you  speak  of  holiness,  for  instance,  to  a  man  who 
has  no  conception  of  holiness,  or  whose  only  notion  respecting  it 
is  that  of  having  recently  batheu  II  ?  "acred  stream  ?  How  would 
you  express  the  Christian  doctrine  of  retjeneiation  to  a  man  who 
expects  to  be  born  again,  either  in  the  form  of  an  insect  or  of  a 
loathsome  reptile,  as  a  punishment  for  his  sins ;  or  in  the  form  of 
a  prince  or  noble,  in  reward  for  his  good  actions  ?  It  is  only  as 
the  ideas  and  experience  of  any  two  nations  coincide,  that  the 
words  of  their  languages  will  correspond. 

The  Rev.  J.  Campbell,  missionary  to  South  Africa,  wished  to 
tell  a  party  of  chiefs  that  he  had  made  a  three  months'  voyage 
from  England,  and  had  since  travelled  six  weeks  in  his  wagon, 
from  Cape  Town,  to  visit  them.  He  had  no  difficulty  in  relating 
to  them  the  latter  fact,  for  they  saw  his  wagon,  and  the  oxen  that 
had  drawn  it;  but  how  was  he  to  speak  of  the  sea  and  ships  tc 
men  to  whom  ships  s'nd  the  sea  were  unknown  ?  He  was  obliged 
to  impress  into  his  service  what  ideas  they  had.  He  said  that 
before  he  travelled  six  weeks  in  the  wagon,  he  had  to  cross  a  large 
pond, — so  large,  that  it  took  him  three  moons  to  come  over,  whicli 
he  did  in  a  house  built  in  a  large  bowl,  which  had  wings ;  that 
there  were  many  men  with  him  in  the  house,  who  spread  out  the 
wings  to  catch  the  wind,  all  day  and  all  night,  while  others  guided 

2S 


326  THE    BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY, 


the  great  bowl. .  You  will  not  be  surprised,  when  we  add,  that  ha 
saw  one  of  the  chiefs  whispering  to  another,  and  overheard  the 
words,  "  he  thinks  we  arc  such  fools  as  to  believe  him."  Yet 
this  singular  account  of  a  voyage  across  the  Atlantic  came  as  near 
to  the  truth  as  the  language  of  that  people  admitted. 

No  such  free  translation  as  this  could  be  allowed  in  a  version 
of  the  Bible.  In  the  sacred  writings,  ''  holy  men  of  God  spake 
as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Grhost."  A  translator  of  the 
Scriptures  is  therefore  bound  to  present  their  thoughts  in  their 
own  phraseology,  as  far  as  the  idiom  of  two  different  languages 
will  allow. 

The  spirit  ot  these  remarks  is  contained  in  letters  from  two 
missionaries,  Mr.  Swan  and  Mr.  Stallybrass,  who  went  to  Siberia, 
and  translated  the  Old  Testament  into  the  language  of  those 
Buriat  Mongolians,  of  whose  desire  for  the  Scriptures,  in  1818, 
you  recently  read.  These  letters  are  dated  1833.  They  say 
something  about  the  style  or  dialect  of  their  version, — that  there 
might  be  three  styles  or  dialects,  among  which  the  translation  of 
the  Buriat  Bible  takes  the  middle  place.  One  would  be  a  vulgar 
colloquial  style  for  the  people ;  another,  the  style  for  the  court,  or 
for  learned  men ;  the  third,  a  letter-writing  and  business  style,  or, 
perhaps,  something  rather  above  that,  so  as  to  place  the  subject 
within  the  reach  of  any  competently-instructed  person.  The  latter 
style  they  adopted  for  the  Bible. 

Other  difficulties  arose  in  translating  into  the  language  of  idola- 
ters :  a  word  must  be  found  for  God;  to  them,  ^Hhe  unknown 
God."  In  the  Buriat  translation,  the  missionaries  used  the  word 
'^  Burchaii,"  as  the  least  exceptionable  term  they  could  employ. 
It  is  the  word  used  by  the  Buriats  for  the  true  God  of  Christians, 
when  they  speak  of  him,  and  it  conveyed  an  idea  to  their  minds 
of  a  Being  above  their  idols. 

Then,  what  nile  should  they  lay  down  for  themselves  as  to  the 
rendering  of  words  expressive  of  weights,  measures,  and  coins? 
Should  these  be  translated  by  the  nearest  weight,  measure,  or 
coin  used  in  the  country,  or  should  the  name  of  the  Roman  weight 
or  coin  be  retained  untranslated  ? 


MODE    01    TRANSLATING.  827 


Points  like  tliese  being  agreed  upon,  the  translators,  together 
or  separately,  took  their  Hebrew  and  Greek  Bibles,  and  read  over 
the  passage  to  be  translated,  very  carefully,  in  the  originals.  In 
this  case  they  also  consulted  Chaldee.  Then,  with  the  help  of  the 
English  Bible,  and  such  other  modern  versions  as  they  were  able 
to  read,  comparing  them  carefully  with  such  aid  from  the  learned 
as  they  may  have  had  at  hand,  they  possessed  themselves  of  the 
exact  sense  of  the  sacred  writers,  and  proceeded  to  express  the 
meaning,  as  nearly  as  possible,  in  the  new  language. 

Translators  sometimes  make  a  list  containing  every  word  they 
have  translated,  the  rendering  given  to  it,  and  the  passage  where 
it  is  found ;  so  that  a  concordance  of  the  Scriptures  is  formed  as 
they  proceed.  This  renders  their  work  uniform.  It  insures  that 
forms  of  expression,  frequently  occurring  in  the  original,  shall  be 
repeated  precisely  in  the  same  terms  in  the  new  version. 

Afterward,  all  is  revised  again  and  again,  in  this  case  with  the 
assistance  of  one  of  the  most  learned  and  competent  of  the  Buriats, 
(generally  a  lama  or  priest;)  '^and  with  him,"  says  Mr.  Swan, 
"  we  went  over  the  whole,  verse  by  verse,  and  sentence  by  sentence, 
attending  particularly  to  the  idiom,  and  to  the  use  of  appropriate 
terms  for  things  not  familiarly  known. 

.  "  A  fair  copy  of  the  manuscript,  thus  revised  and  corrected, 
was  then  made,  and  sent  to  our  fellow-labourers,  who  had  copies 
taken  for  themselves,  that  they  might  examine  and  make  remarks 
at  their  leisure,  and  have  them  at  hand  for  reference.  Some  parts 
of  our  manuscripts  have  thus  undergone  repeated  inspection  and 
alteration,  and  we  consider  the  final  corrections  not  yet  made.  I 
shall  again  revise  my  portion  immediately  on  my  return  to  Siberia." 
This  letter  is  dated  1834. 

The  same  protracted  process  has  been  going  on  all  over  the 
world.  Morrison,  in  China ;  Carey  and  his  learned  colle-agues,  in 
India ;  Williams,  in  the  South  Sea  Islands ;  and  Moffat,  in  South 
Africa,  have  all,  by  the  labour  of  many  years,  been  creating  the 
material  for  the  spiritual  treasury  of  the  Bible  Society,  which  it 
now  scatters  forth  with  a  munificent  and  liberal  hand.  The  men 
are  almost  all  dead,  but  their  work  shall  never  die 


328  THE    BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


Incidental  notice  has  already  been  taken  of  tlie  difficulty  attend- 
ing Dr.  Morrison's  work  in  China;  and  of  the  Indian  transktiona 
we  must  further  speak,  in  describing  the  country  itself.  The 
following  is  the  testimony,  on  the  same  subject,  of  the  missionary 
Williams  on  the  occasion  of  presenting  a  copy  of  the  Gospel  of 
Matthew,  in  the  language  of  Rarotonga,  to  Lord  Bexley,  at  the 
thirty-first  anniversary  of  the  Bible  Society.     He  said, — 

"  I  feel  great  pleasure  in  presenting  to  your  lordship  the  fii'st 
sheets  of  the  Scriptures  ever  printed  in  England,  in  a  language 
of  the  South  Sea  Islands. 

"  The  work  of  translation  has  been  attended  with  very  many 
ninderances.  When  the  missionaries  first  went  there,  the  people 
had  no  written  language,  no  letters,  no  medium  of  intercourse,  no 
hieroglyphic  signs  among  them,  and  the  art  of  communicating 
with  persons  at  a  distance,  by  means  of  writing,  was  a  great 
mystery  to  them.  King  Pomare  was  the  first  person  who  learned 
to  write ;  and  when  it  was  spread  abroad  that  he  could  talk  with 
the  missionaries  at  a  distance,  by  means  of  a  few  marks  upon  a 
piece  of  paper,  the  people  came  from  all  parts  to  be  eye-witnesses 
of  the  wonderful  deed. 

"  Our  own  translation  has  been  effected  with  all  the  precaution 
that  could  be  exercised,  in  order  to  have  a  version  as  correct  as 
possible.  The  work  was  divided  among  the  difierent  missionaries, 
according  to  their  knowledge  of  the  language.  Each  took  his 
portion  to  translate,  which,  when  accomplished,  was  sent  round 
to  all  the  others,  with  a  request  that  they  would  criticise  and  re- 
mark freely  upon  it.  It  was  then  returned  to  the  translator,  who 
corrected  his  work,  carefully  considering  all  the  remarks  that  had 
been  made.  The  translation  was  then  further  circulated  among 
the  people,  and  the  chiefs  and  more  intelligent  natives  were  en- 
couraged to  make  their  strictures  also.  Some  of  their  remarks 
were  of  very  great  value  to  us." 

The  following  is  a  specimen  of  the  Rarotonga  version  alluded 
to ;  John  i.  1-5  : — 

1  vai  ana  te  Logo  i  muatangana,  i  to  Atua  ra  oki  te  Logo,  e  ko  te  Atua  oki 
te  Logo.    2  I  te  Atua  ra  oki  aia  i  muatangana.     3  Nana  i  anga  te  au  mea  katoa 


RAROTONGA   AND    SECHUANA   ^'ERSIONS.  829 


toa,  kare  ua  aia  i  ngere  i  tetai  mea  i  angaia  ra.  4  Tei  roto  iaia  te  ora,  e  taua 
ora  ra)  to  te  tangata  ia  marama.  5  J  kaka  mai  ana  te  marama  ki  te  poiri,  kare 
ri  to  te  poiri  i  ariki  adu. 

The  same  martyr-missionary  adds  :  ''It  will  be  understood,  that 
a  people  of  such  barbarous  character  as  those  among  whom  we 
have  been  labouring,  had  no  names  for  many  of  the  animals  men- 
tioned in  Scripture.  They  never  saw  a  horse  till  we  introduced 
that  animal  to  the  islands ;  they  had  no  sheep  or  cattle  of  any 
kind ;  and  in  many  islands  they  had  never  seen  any  animals  but 
rats,  which  were  very  numerous.  In  other  islands  they  had  pigs 
in  great  abundance,  and  they  called  the  horse  '  the  pig  that  carries 
the  man.'  In  translating  the  Scripture,  we  had  to  supply  names 
for  these  unknown  animals;  and  for  many  other  things,  which 
they  had  not,  we  borrowed  a  word  from  the  English  language.  In 
the  Polynesian  dialects,  a  vowel  intervenes  between  every  two 
consonants.  This  rule  made  it  impossible  to  transfer  the  word 
horse,  and,  besides,  the  letter  s  is  unknown  in  their  language.  In 
this  case  we  went  to  the  Greek,  and  found  the  word  hippos, — we 
rejected  thep  and  the  s,  and  constructed  the  word  hipo,  a  word 
which  any  native  can  speak,  and  any  learned  man  might  under- 
stand.    Such  a  word  as  baptism  we  left  untranslated.'' 

Mr.  Moffat's  description  of  the  difficulty  of  acquiring  the 
Bechuana  tongue,  and  the  circumstances  in  which  it  was  ac- 
quired, will  cause  you  to  look  with  reverence  on  the  sheets  of  a 
Sechiiana  Bible.  The  following  is  a  specimen  of  that  version; 
John  i.  1—5 : — 

Lehuktj  le  le  le  mo  tsimologofi,  mi  Lehuku  le  le  na  le  Morimo,  mi  Luhuku 
e  le  le  Morimo.  2  Ye,  le  le  na  le  Morimo  mo  tsimologofi.  3  Lilo  cotle  li  tsa 
rihoa  ka  yeona,  mi  ga  goa  rihoa  sepe  sa  tse  li  rihiloen,  ha  e  si  ka  yeona 
4  Botselo  bo  le  bo  le  mo  go  yeona ;  mi  botselo  e  le  le  leseri  ya  bathu.  5  Mi 
leseri  ya  phatsima  mo  hihiii;  mi  lehihi  le  si  ka  ya  le  cula. 

"Often,"  says  Mr.  Moffat,  ''have  we  all  met  together  to  read 
the  word  of  God, — that  never-failing  source  of  comfort;  and, 
contented  with  bjing  only  the  pioneers,  have  poured  out  oui 
souls  in  prayer  for  the  perishing  heathen  around.  The  acquisi- 
tion of  the  language  was  an  object  of  the  first  importance,  and 
this  had  to  be  accomplished  under  the  most  unfavourable  circum 

28* 


330  THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


Btances,  as  there  was  neither  time  nor  place  of  retirement  for 
study,  and  no  interpreter  worthy  the  name. 

"A  feW;  and  but  few,  words  were  collected,  and  these  very  in- 
correctly. It  was  something  like  groping  in  the  dark,  and  many 
were  the  blunders  that  I  made.  After  being  compelled  to  attend 
to  every  species  of  manual,  and  frequently  menial,  labour  for  the 
whole  day,  working  under  a  burning  sun,  standing  in  the  saw-pit, 
labouring  at  the  anvil,  treading  clay,  or  cleaning  out  a  waler- 
ditch,  it  may  be  imagined  that  I  was  in  no  very  j&t  condition  for 
study,  even  when  a  quiet  hour  could  be  obtained  in  the  evening 
for  that  purpose;  and  when  /was  ready  for  inquiry,  the  mind  of 
the  native  interpreter  could  never  be  commanded  at  pleasure. 

"Those  whose  faculties  have  been  expanded  by  a  European 
education,  cannot  conceive  the  stupidity,  as  they  would  call  it, 
of  savages,  in  every  thing  beyond  the  most  simple  ideas.  I  have 
sometimes  been  obliged  to  allow  my  interpreter  to  leave  off  the 
task  when  he  had  scarcely  given  me  a  dozen  words,  it  was  so  evi- 
dent that  the  exercise  of  the  faculty  of  thinking  so  soon  wore  out 
his  powers  of  mental  exertion.  He  would  then  betray  by  his 
listlessness  and  vacancy  of  countenance,  that  all  thought  was  gone, 
and  complain  that  his  head  ached,  when  he  always  received  his 
dismissal  for  that  day." 

Nevertheless,  after  ten  years  of  difficulties,  surmounted  by  per- 
severance, there  was  in  existence,  by  the  year  1830,  a  Sechuana 
Grospel  of  Luke,  and  then  came  the  earnest  of  the  first-fruits.  A 
Matabele  captive  sat  weeping,  with  this  portion  of  the  word  of 
God  in  her  hand.  ''  My  child,  what  is  the  cause  of  your  sorrow  V 
said  the  missionary.  "Is  the  baby  still  unwell?"  "No;  my 
baby  is  well."  "Your  mother-in-law?"  "No!  no!"  said  she; 
"it  is  my  own  dear  mother  who  bore  me!"  and,  holding  out  the 
Gospel  of  Luke,  all  wet  with  her  tears,  she  added,  "My  mother 
will  never  see  this  good  word !  She  will  never  hear  this  good 
news.  Oh!  my  mother,  my  mother,  and  all  my  friends!  They 
will  die  without  the  light  that  has  shone  on  me !" 

Mr.  Moffat  saw  his  reward  when  he  beheld  this  love  to  souls 
kindled  in  the  heart  of  Afric's  sable  daughter;   and  in  1842, 


SOLITARY   CHRISTIAN.  331 


there  was  a  whole  New  Testament,  in  Sechuana,  printed  by  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  and  some  thousands  of  copies 
were  sent  out  to  the  interior  of  South  Africa,  to  supply  the  wants 
of  a  people  rapidly  acquiring  the  art  of  reading,  and  multitudes 
of  them  already  able  to  read  in  their  own  language  what  the 
Buriats  called  the  "  sacred  words  of  the  most  high  and  saving 
God/' 

We  must  give  one  anecdote  with  which  Mr.  Moffat  closes  his 
delightful  book  of  missionary  labours :  *'  In  one  of  my  early 
journeys,  I  came  with  my  companions  to  a  heathen  village,  on 
the  banks  of  the  Orange  River.  We  had  travelled  far,  and  were 
hungry,  thirsty,  and  fatigued ;  but  the  people  of  the  village  rather 
roughly  directed  us  to  halt  at  a  distance.  We  asked  for  water, 
but  they  would  not  supply  it.  I  offered  the  three  or  four  buttons 
left  on  my  jacket  for  a  little  milk,  and  was  refused.  We  had 
tbe  prospect  of  another  hungry  night  at  a  distance  from  water, 
though  within  sight  of  the  river. 

"When  tv/ilight  drew  on,  a  woman  approached' from  the  height 
beyond  which  the  village  lay.  She  bore  on  her  head  a  bundle  of 
wood,  and  had  a  vessel  of  milk  in  her  hand.  The  latter,  without 
opening  her  lips,  she  handed  to  us,  laid  down  the  wood,  and 
returned  to  the  village.  A  second  time  she  approached,  with  a 
cooking  vessel  on  her  head,  and  a  leg  of  mutton  in  one  hand,  and 
water  in  the  other.  She  sat  down  without  saying  a  word,  pre- 
pared the  fire,  and  put  on  the  meat.  We  asked  her  again  and 
again  who  she  was.  She  remained  silent,  till  affectionately  en-, 
treated  to  give  us  a  reason  for  such  unlooked-for  kindness  to 
strangers.  Then  the  tear  stole  down  her  sable  cheek,  and  she 
replied,  'I  love  Him  whose  servants  you  are;  and  surely  it  is  my 
duty  to  give  you  a  cup  of  cold  water  in  his  name.  My  heart  is 
full;  therefore  I  cannot  speak  the  joy  I  feel  to  see  you  in  this 
out-of-the- world  place/ 

"  On  learning  a  little  of  her  history,  and  that  she  was  a  solitary 
light  burning  in  a  dark  place,  I  asked  her  how  she  kept  up  th*i 
light  of  God  in  her  soul,  in  the  entire  absence  of  the  communion 
of  saints.     She  drew  from  her  bosom  a  copy  of  the  Dutch  New 


332  THE   BOOK   AND  ITS   STORY. 


Testament,  which  she  had  received  from  Mr.  Helm,  when  in  his 
Bchool,  some  years  before.  '  This/  said  she,  '  is  the  fountain 
whence  I  drink;  this  is  the  oil  which  makes  my  lamp  to  burn!' 
I  looked  on  the  precious  relic,  printed  by  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society;  and  the  reader  may  conceive  my  joy,  while  we 
mingled  aur  prayers  and  sympathies  together,  at  the  throne  of 
our  heavenly  Father." 

As  we  must  look  upon  the  heathen  world  in  the  light  of  the 
future,  and  under  the  head  of  much  land  ''yet  to  be  possessed," 
we  will  not  at  this  point  enter  into  more  detail,  especially  as  India 
must  be  studied  alone,  and  with  n6  wearied  attention.  For  the 
heathen,  the  translations  were  going  on — are  going  on  still — 
being  revised  and  re-revised;  and,  as  this  takes  pkce,  they  go  forth 
and  do  their  work.  The  ''seed  is  the  word,"  and  the  "field  is 
the  world." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Death  of  Lord  Teignmouth,  and  of  Mr.  Hughes — Bible  Colportage  upon  the 
Continent — Osee  Derbecq — Characteristics  of  Colporteurs — The  young  Bible- 
collector  in  Jersey — Juvenile  Bible  Associations — Individual  Efforts  to  dis- 
tribute the  Scriptures — The  Testament  among  the  Fishing  People  of  Bou- 
logne— A  Tract  the  Pioneer  of  the  Bible — Statistics  of  Infidel  Publications 

In  the  year  1834,  several  of  the  attached  friends  of  the  Bible 
Society — its  president,  Lord  Teignmouth — one  of  its  secretaries, 
Joseph  Hughes — its  eloquent  advocates  and  supporters,  William 
"VVilberforce  and  Hannah  More — were  removed  from  their  earthly 
labours. 

In  the  oriental  afiuirs  of  the  society.  Lord  Teignmouth's  ex- 
tensive knowledge  of  the  languages,  and  his  intimate  acquaintance 
with  the  manners  and  sentiments  of  eastern  nations,  (acquired 
while  he  was  Governor-Greneral  of  India,)  were  of  the  highest 
importance.  His  introduction  and  recommendation  to  the  agents, 
'.n  their  travels,  never  failed  to  insure  a  ready  attention,  and  re» 


LORD    TEIGN MOUTH — JOSEPH   HUGHES.  333 


moved  many  a  difficulty  ir.  the  way  of  their  foreign  operations ; 
but  the  advantage  attaching  to  the  rank  and  station  of  their 
president  was  of  small  account  to  the  Bible  Society,  when  com- 
pared with  the  qualities  of  his  mind  and  heart.  Many  of  the 
earlier  Reports  were  written  by  him  ;  and  to  the  wide  correspond- 
ence, carried  on  for  several  years  under  his  immediate  direction, 
he  rendered  the  greatest  assistance  by  the  purity  of  his  taste  and 
the  elegance  of  his  style. 

Mr.  Hughes  had  spent  his  strength  and  devoted  much  of  his 
time  to  the  interests  of  the  society  for  nearly  thirly  years,  as  had 
Mr.  Owen  to  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1822,  without  fee  or  re- 
ward. When  Mr.  Owen  died,  the  committee  felt  how  impossible 
it  was  to  expect  from  any  besides  these  two  men,  the  fathers  and 
founders  of  the  society,  a  similar  sacrifice  of  time  and  talent, 
without  adequate  remuneration,  now  that  the  business  of  the 
society  had  increased  and  was  extending  itself  to  all  parts  of  the 
world.  Mr.  Hughes  was  therefore  obliged  to  consent  to  receive 
the  salary  which  woulcl  be  allotted  to  his  future  successor;  but 
his  acceptance  of  it  was  accompanied  by  a  noble  deed  of  conse- 
cration, on  his  own  part,  found  among  his  private  papers  after  his 
decease.  He  says,  ''  I  have  deliberately  resolved  to  appropriate 
the  u-Jiole  of  what  I  may  receive  from  this  source,  to  the  relief  to 
such  private  cases,  and  the  support  of  such  public  institutions,  as 
shall  appear  most  deserving  of  my  attention  and  encouragement.^' 
But  he  had  little  credit  given  him  for  such  secret  resolve. 

On  one  of  his  journeys  for  the  society,  he  found  by  his  side, 
on  the  coach,  a  grave  and  respectable-looking  person.  In  conver- 
sation on  topics  of  general  interest,  the  Bible  Society  soon  becflme 
the  subject  of  conversation.  His  companion  enlarged  on  its 
Utopian  character,  and  especially  on  its  lavish  expenditure,  no- 
ticing in  a  marked  way  the  needless  and  extravagant  expenses  of 
its  secretaries,  as  well  as  their  enormous  salaries.  No  one,  from 
Mr.  Hughes's  countenance  and  manner,  would  have  conjectured 
that  he  was  a  party  concerned.  "  But  what,"  he  mildly  expostu- 
lated, "would  be  your  conclusion,  were  you  informed  that  their 
services  were  r/iafuilous ;  and  that,  with  a  view  of  curtailing  aa 


334  THE  BOOK  AND  ITS   STORY. 


much,  as  possible  the  expenses  of  travelling,  they  usually,  even 
in  very  inclement  seasons,  fix  on  the  outside, — as  one  of  them  is 
now  doing  before  your  eyes  ?"  It  need  scarcely  be  stated,  that 
both  the  fact  and  the  tone  in  which  it  was  announced,  with  the 
friendly  conversation  that  ensued,  converted  an  enemy  into  a  friend. 

The  memorial  of  the  committee  to  this  good  man  declares,  that 
all  the  friends  of  the  society  were  agreed  to  reverence  and  love 
him ;  that  he  had  eminently  contributed  to  mature  the  plans 
which  he  had  been  instrumental  in  originating ;  and  that,  by  his 
intelligence  ana  piety,  as  well  as  by  his  remarkable  freedom  from 
asperity,  he  succeeded,  by  maintaining  a  friendly  feeling  through- 
out its  discussions,  in  preserving  the  harmony  of  its  councils. 
The  memorial  concluded  with  the  transcript  of  a  passage  from  his 
own  beautiful  letter  of  resignation,  addressed  to  them  when  he 
found  himself  no  longer  able  to  fulfil  the  duties  of  his  office  : 

"The  office  has,  I  believe,  greatly  helped  me  in  the  way  to 
heaven ;  but  now  my  Lord  seems  to  say,  '  I  have  dissolved  the 
commission ;  thy  work  is  done ;  yield  cKeerfully  to  my  purpose, 
and  prepare  to  enter  those  blessed  abodes  where  the  labourers  of 
the  Bible  Society  shall  have  brought  forth  more  glorious  fruits 
than  the  fondest  hope  had  foreseen.'  '^ 

Mr.  Foster,  the  celebrated  essayist,  and  the  old  and  valued 
friend  of  Mr.  Hughes,  on  hearing  "  that  his  life  was  quivering  in 
the  socket,"  wrote  to  him  a  most  syjupathizing  letter,  from  which, 
when  his  son  read  to  him  the  following  words, — "  But  oh  !  my 
dear  friend,  whither  is  it  that  you  are  going  ? — where  is  it  that 
you  will  be  a  few  short  weeks  or  days  hence  ?" — Mr.  Hughes 
lifited  up  his  hands,  as  if  to  give  eficct  to  the  reply, — "  To  heaven, 
I  am  going;  there  to  dwell  with  Grod  and  Christ,  and  the  spirits 
of  just  men  made  perfect !" 

But  these  devoted  friends  of  the  society  would  not  wish  us  to 
linger  even  by  the  side  of  their  dying  beds ;  for  when  they  died, 
the  work  went  on,  and  they  bore  their  testimony  that  the  Divine 
word,  which  it  had  been  their  joy  to  circulate  during  life,  was 
their  own  strong  consolation  in  the  hour  of  death — the  light  of 
the  border  land.     Mr.  Hughes  was  succeeded  in  the  secretaryship 


COLPORTAGE  ON  THE  CONTINENT.  335 


by  his  much- loved  friend,  the  Rev.  George  Browne,  minister  of 
the  Congregational  Church,  Clapham ;  and  the  result  has  proved 
that  the  unanimous  choice  of  the  committee  was  made  under  the 
direction  of  Providence.  For  twenty  years  the  society  has  been 
faithfully  served,  and  its  interests  efficiently  promoted  by  his  judi- 
cious counsels,  able  advocacy,  and  extensive  correspondence.  May 
these  valuable  services  be  long  continued  ! 

We  must  now  enter  without  delay  on  the  subject  of — 

BIBLE    COLPORTAGE    UPON   THE    CONTINENT. 

From  the  earliest  days  of  the  society,  the  committee  sought  to 
extend  the  circulation  of  the  Bible  upon  the  continent,  wherever 
it  was  possible  to  find  entrance  for  it  There,  popery  and  infi- 
delity reigned  :  the  former,  as  we  have  seen,  hides  the  Bible ; 
the  latter  rejects  it  :  for,  from  all  the  five  classes  of  the  human 
family  which  we  have  been  considering,  there  might  be  gathered 
a  larger  class  than  any  one,  spread  among  them  all — the  class  of 
infidels,  or  unbelievers  of  the  written  word  altogether.  These 
abound  also,  we  grieve  to  know,  in  our  own  Protestant  England ; 
and  their  infidelity  often  arises  from  their  want  of  knowledge 
They  do  not  hiow  the  history  of  the  volume  they  reject.  Few 
of  them  have  ever  read  the  Book  itself,  except  with  intent  to  ridi- 
cule it ;  and  many  have  it  not  in  their  possession. 

A  new  agency,  at  this  period,  seemed  requisite  in  the  Roman 
Catholic  countries,  where  the  common  people  more  willingly  listen 
to  persons  of  their  own  class  than  to  a  minister  of  the  gospel ; 
and  as  God  "  has  chosen  the  weak  things  of  the  world  to  confound 
the  mighty,'^  abundant  blessing  has  been  poured  out  on  the  la- 
bours of  those  who  literally  "  go  out  into  the  highways  and 
hedges,"  with  the  holy  word  of  God  in  their  hands,  to  distribute 
it  day  by  day,  and  who  are  called  Colporteurs. 

The  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  began  to  send  forth 
these  colporteurs  in  the  year  1837.  For  seven  years  before  that 
time,  150  of  them  had  been  employed  by  the  Geneva  and  Paris 
Bible  Societies,  and  their  sales  of  the  Scriptures,  at  reduced  prices, 


336  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


gradually  increased,  and,  in  the  year  1835,  amounted  to  ncarlj' 
45,000  copies.  But  these  colporteurs  had  circulated  religious 
tracts  as  well  as  the  Bible,  and  the  committee  in  Earl-street  con- 
sidered this  not  to  be  desirable.  Out  of  100  persons  who  applied 
to  Monsieur  de  P.,  the  agent  in  Paris,  to  become  colporteurs,  he 
carefully  selected  fourty-four,  and  in  four  months  they  sold  45,000 
copies.  In  the  next  year,  there  were  sold  more  than  100,000 
copies ;  and  the  number  circulated  during  fifteen  years  by  colpor- 
teurs, in  France  alone,  amounts  in  all  to  almost  seventeen  hundred 
thousand  copies  ! 

These  colporteurs  now  traverse  the  continent  of  Europe, — a 
band  of  humble  but  zealous  and  valiant  soldiers  of  the  Cross. 
They  carry  with  them  the  "Sword  of  the  Spirit,'^  and  their 
weapon  is  "not  carnal,  but  mighty,  through.  God,  to  the  pulling 
down  of  the  strongholds  of  Satan." 

From  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Baltic,  in  Belgium, 
in  Holland,  in  France,  and  in  Grcrmany,  they  unfurl  the  gospel 
banner,  and  wondrous  are  the  tales  they  tell  of  its  willing  recep- 
tion among  those  who  would  never  have  heard  of  it  but  through 
their  means. 

Some  persons  were  apprehensive  that  it  would  shock  the  feel- 
ings even  of  Protestants,  to  see  the  Scriptures  hawked  for  sale, 
from  door  to  door;  others  feared  it  would  so  irritate  the  Boman 
Catholics,  as  to  provoke  collision;  but  all  these  fears  have  "come 
to  nought."  The  circulation  of  the  Holy  Word,  in  these  countries, 
was  a  thing  to  be  accomplished ;  and  God  has  watched  over  his 
own  work  from  the  beginning.  His  blessing  has  never  for  a  mo- 
ment forsaken  the  faithful  labourers,  and  they  have  truly  to  re- 
joice over  what  they  have  been  enabled  to  do  in  his  strength 
and  name. 

A  colporteur  carries  his  books  in  a  leathern  bag  slung  over  his 
phoulder.  He  makes  the  sale  of  the  Bible  his  only  employment. 
It  is  not  by  once  offering  it  that  he  sells  it,  and  he  is  often  obliged 
to  wait  patiently  the  result  of  repeated  visits  and  conversations. 

It  is  calculated  that  one  of  these  excellent  men  offered  the 
•Scriptures  and  spoke  of  their  contents,  to  more  than  200,000 


DEATH    OF   LERBECQ.  337 


j>3rgons.  He  had  been  colporting  eleven  years  before  lie  died, 
and  sold  at  least  18,000  copies  of  the  Scriptures.  His  name  was 
Osee  Derbecq,  and  he  laboured  in  Belgium.  The  Bible  Society 
never  had  a  more  faithful  servant.  His  whole  soul  was  absorbed 
in  his  work;  his  deep  piety  and  profound  humility  made  him  a 
welcome  visitor  wherever  he  went;  and  many  persons  who  had 
persecuted  him,  afterward  became  his  warmest  friends.  His  dis- 
cussions with  the  Roman  Catholic  priests  and  their  adherents, 
were  full  of  holy  boldness  and  faithful  testimony  to  the  grace  of 
God. 

A  colporteur,  who  visited  one  of  his  old  fields  of  labour,  wrote 
thus:  '^Derbecq  had  been  here,  and  had  penetrated,  as  every- 
where else,  into  the  most  humble  cabin.  Every  moment  my 
heart  is  pained  at  the  thought  of  his  death,  when  I  see  the  esteem 
in  which  he  is  held  by  the  inhabitants  of  this  province,  who  have 
been  a  long  while  waiting  his  return." 

In  more  than  one  locality,  where  there  is  now  a  flourishing 
congregation,  he  was  the  sower  of  the  seed.  In  June,  1847,  he 
fell  into  consumption,  but  he  continued  his  work  till  September, 
1848,  though  in  much  bodily  suffering.  At  last  he  procured  an 
ass  to  carry  his  books,  himself  walking  by  its  side  as  long  as  he 
could.  He  died  at  the  age  of  forty-two,  and  his  death  made  a 
strong  impression  on  those  around  him,  for  it  was  full  of  bliss. 
Many  attended  his  funeral.  He  was  called  the  ''king  of  col- 
porteurs," and  it  may  be  truly  said,  he  died  a  martyr  to  the  Bible 
Society's  work. 

It  has  been  thought  by  the  committee,  that  this  year  of  Jubilee, 
a  season  of  which  Isaiah  speaks  as  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord 
among  the  Tews,  and  which  was  to  be  a  season  of  "comforting 
all  that  mourn,"  is  a  very  suitable  occasion  for  commencing  a 
fund  which  shall  meet  the  necessities  of  some  humble  and  retired, 
but  laborious  and  devoted  servants  of  Christ,  like  Osee  Derbecq. 

The  colporteurs  being  always  chosen  from  their  earnest  and 
undoubted  piety,  it  is  almost  certain  that  each  of  the  seventeen 
Imndred  tliousaiul  Bibles  we  have  spoken  of  has  been  accompanied 

by  a  prayer.     They  have  all  likewise  been  sold,  not  given,  an«5 

?9 


838  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


will  therefore;^  probably,  be  more  carefully  preserved.  Seven- 
eigliths  of  them  have  been  of  the  version  cf  De  Sacy,  sold  in 
France,  proving  that  the  work  has  been  carried  on  especially 
among  Roman  Catholics.  Alas !  many  of  these  Bibles  have  possi- 
bly been  burnt,  but  perhaps  the  greater  part  have  been  preserved. 
Our  colporteurs  frequently  report  that  they  have  been  in  districts 
in  France  where  the  New  Testament  is  to  be  met  with  in  almost 
every  house;  and  not  a  month  passes  in  which  one  or  the  other 
does  not  discover,  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  some  few  in- 
dividuals or  whole  families  who  unite  for  the  purpose  of  reading 
the  Bible  or  Testament,  to  their  great  comfort. 

One  very  remarkable  fact  concerning  the  colporteurs  is  this, 
that,  with  but  few  exceptions,  they  have  formerly  been  Roman 
Catholics,  and  have  become  zealous  friends  of  the  Bible  through 
reading  copies  of  the  Scripture  purchased  by  themselves  of  some 
colporteurs.  There  are  continual  changes  upon  the  staff,  as  it  is 
called, — from  280  to  300  individuals  having  been  employed  since 
the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  took  up  the  work,  and 
among  these  there  have  been  scarcely  a  dozen  who  have  not  proved 
equal  to  the  requirements  of  their  calling.  All  the  rest  have,  in 
zeal,  devotion,  and  fidelity,  been  ornaments  to  the  gospel;  and  in 
the  esteem  of  the  public  generally,  the  name  of  colporteur  signi- 
fies a  man  of  order  and  of  peace,  as  well  as  a  good  and  upright 
man. 

Sometimes  the  French  colporteurs  are  addressed  in  this  way : 
'^As  for  you,  you  are  men  of  the  Bible;  you  never  speak  of  any 
thing  else :  you  certainly  are  not  men  of  this  world.  Whether 
Louis  Napoleon  or  Louis  Philippe  sits  upon  the  throne,  it  matters 
very  little  to  you;  you  are  comical  fellows;  you  seem  as  if  you 
belong  neither  to  the  republic,  the  empire,  nor  to  any  thing  else; 
and,  to  look  at  you,  and  to  listen  to  you,  one  might  almost  say 
that  God  is  always  before  you,  and  that  it  is  he  who  governs. 
How  is  this?     Explain  yourselves." 

And  then  they  do  explain  themselves :  they  stand  by  many  a 
dying  bed,  and  arc  brought  into  sympathy  with  mjfny  a  strange 
and  solemn  scene;  they  sow  the  good  sc?d  through  the  field  of 


SUCCESS    OP    v^OLPORTAGE.  339 


the  world,  and  they  often  reap,  years  afterward,  the  seed  they 
have  sown. 

The  work  of  the  colporteur  was  never  intended  to  interfere  with 
the  work  of  the  collectors  for  Bible  Associations,  whether  at  home 
or  abroad.  It  consists  in  selling  Bibles  at  once,  as  many  as  he 
can  in  a  day.  The  work  of  the  Bible  collector  is,  as  we  have  seen, 
to  receive  the  weekly  penny  from  those  who  at  one  time  can  spare 
no  more.  It  is  carried  on,  of  late  years,  very  chiefly  by  associa- 
tions of  ladies,  who  find  many  an  opportunity  of  doing  good  both 
to  the  souls  and  the  bodies  of  those  whom  they  thus  repeatedly 
visit.  Both  orders  of  agency  are  excellent;  and  both  are  found 
necessarv,  even  in  Eno-land. 

In  1845,  it  was  thus  reported :  "  The  county  of  Badnor,  con- 
taining a  population  of  25,000,  has  only  five  Bible  Societies  within 
its  limit;  and  of  these  five,  two  have  little  more  than  an  existence 
in  name.  A  well-chosen  colporteur  commenced  his  operations  at 
the  close  of  harvest,  in  one  of  five  districts  into  which  the  county 
was  divided,  and  within  forty-six  days  he  sold,  at  cost  prices,  in 
the  eight  parishes  comprised  in  the  district,  one  thousand  and 
eighty-five  Bibles  and  Testaments,  among  a  population  of  5804, 
being  in  the  proportion  of  a  copy  to  every  family.  He  was  a  man 
of  good  muscular  strength,  as  well  as  piety;  he  walked  about 
fourteen  miles  a  day:  the  farmers  and  labourers  purchased  with 
avidity,  sometimes  to  the  extent  of  a  copy  for  every  individual 
capable  of  reading;  all  were  astonished  at  the  cheapness  of  the 
books,  and  many  were  the  blessings  implored  on  those  by  whom 
he  was  employed." 

Notwithstanding  all  the  Bibles  that  have  been  supplied  in 
England,  experience  proves,  that  this  history  of  the  county  of 
Radnor,  in  1845,  would  be  repeated,  by  the  use  of  the  same 
agency,  in  many  an  extensive  tract  of  country  and  in  many  a 
lonely  hamlet,  even  in  this  year  1853. 

ladies'  associations. 

But  that  you  may  not  think  that  the  whole  work  of  the  society 
is  or  can  be  done  by  colporteurs,  and  that  those  who  arc  ignorant 


340  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


of  it  may  have  an  idea  of  it  as  at  this  time  carried  on  with  zeal 
and  perseverance  by  upward  of  20,000  ladies  in  the  British  em- 
pire, we  will  give  you  a  few  particulars  concerning  a  Bible  col- 
lector, in  one  of  the  Channel  islands,  which  may  induce  some  of 
you  to  follow  her  example. 

Attached  to  the  second  Report  of  the  Bible  Society,  in  1806, 
is  the  following  letter  from  the  Bev.  F.  P.,  of  Jersey : — "A  mem- 
ber of  your  society  has  encouraged  me  to  lay  before  you  the  state 
of  the  island  of  Jersey,  as  it  respects  the  want  of  Bibles.  I  need 
not  tell  you  that  by  far  the  greater  part  of  the  inhabitants  speak 
French,  and  nothing  but  French,  so  that  if  they  wish  to  read 
their  Bible,  it  must  be  in  that  language;  but  war  has  interrupted 
all  communications  with  Holland  and  other  parts,  from  which  we 
had  our  Bibles,  so  that  they  are  exceedingly  scarce.  I  believe 
there  is  not  one  to  he  bought  in  the  tchole  island.  I  know  many 
religious  families  who  are  without  it.  They  have  not  even  the 
New  Testament;  and  though  they  would  give  any  money  for  it, 
it  is  all  in  vain.  I  have  known  old  second-hand  family  Bibles  to 
sell  at  from  two  to  four  pounds  sterling,  so  that  none  but  the  rich 
can  afford  to  buy  them,  while  the  poor  people  are  greatly  in  want 
of  them." 

In  answer  to  this  letter,  the  committee  directed  300  copies  of 
the  French  Testament  to  be  forwarded  to  their  correspondent,  to 
be  disposed  of  on  terms  suited  to  the  circumstances  of  the  people. 
He  preached  in  French  to  2000  hearers,  who  had  not  among  them 
200  Bibles,  and  from  the  pulpit  told  them,  that  it  was  to  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  that  the  churches  must  now 
look  for  a  supply  of  the  word  of  Grod. 

Other  jxrants  of  New  Testaments  followed  this,  and  still,  in  a 
letter  dated  1809,  he  says,  '^I  wish  you  could  have  seen  the 
silent  tears  of  joy  fall  from  many  an  eye,  at  the  thought  that  one 
day  they  would  be  possessors  of  the  invaluable  treasure.  Many 
are  anxiously  waiting  for  the  completion  of  the  Old  Testament  in 
French.     When  it  is  finished,  oh  !  pray  forget  not  Jersey!" 

It  is  a  very  interesting  fact,  that  most  of  the  families  in  Jersey 
are  descended  from  refugees  who  escaped  from  the  religious  per- 


MARIE,    THE    MINISTER'S   DAUGHTER.  341 

ieoution  in  France.  It  is  related  of  tliem,  that  when  they  had 
to  pass  the  gens-d'armes  on  the  coast,  they  always  tried  to  hide 
their  children,  and  one  of  the  means  employed  was  placing  them 
in  baskets  well  covered  with  fruit.  They  are  therefore  a  part  of 
the  Protestant  Church  of  the  Book,  and  it  was  delightful  to  the 
society  to  multiply  to  them  their  ancient  treasure.  The  minister, 
whose  letters  we  have  quoted,  married  an  English  lady,  a  true 
Christian,  who  established  a  Ladies'  Bible  Association  in  Jersey, 
in  1807  or  1808, — one,  therefore,  of  the  very  earliest  of  these 
institutions  which  worked  silently  and  without  official  notice, 
probably  paying  its  proceeds  into  the  hands  of  the  gentlemen's 
committee. 

A  ladies'  auxiliary,  under  high  patronage,  was  established  in 
1818,  and  its  president  describes  Jersey,  shortly  afterward,  as 
''our  little  country  still  thirsting  for  the  word  of  life." 

But  it  was  in  the  spring  of  1837  that  some  friends  of  the 
Bible  Society,  who  visited  Jersey,  found  the  amiable  and  inte- 
resting daughter  of  the  good  minister  above  mentioned  following 
in  the  steps  of  her  father,  who  was  yet  living,  and  of  her  mother, 
who  had  been  removed  by  death,  and  very  earnestly  devoted  to 
the  work  of  spreading  the  Scriptures  in  the  romantic  little  isle, 
where  she  had  been  born.     These  friends  say: 

"We  once  or  twice  accompanied  Marie  in  her  visits  to  her 
Bible-district,  in  the  streets  and  lanes  of  the  crowded  town  of  St. 
Helier's,  where  the  scenes  are  more  foreign  than  English,  and 
where  she  had  to  cope  with  the  effects  of  that  Catholic  super- 
stition, which  must  be  seen  in  detail,  in  order  to  appreciate  the 
difficulty  of  pouring  light  upon  its  darkness. 

"From  many  and  many  a  door  we  turned  away,  where  the 

offer  of  the  word  of  life  was  rejected  with  anger  and  scorn.     The 

laugh  of  derision  followed  us  up  stair  and  alley,  or  the  look  of 

surprise  varied  the  vacant  face  of  ignorance,  knowing  nothing, 

and  willing  to  know  nothing,   but  what   the   priest   ordained. 

Marie  spoke  fluently  in  French,  or  in  patois,  when  the  latter  only 

was  understood,  and  her  English  was  equally  ready.     Three  most 

delightful  visits  were  paid,  in  one  morning,  to  persons  who  had 

29* 


342  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY, 


been  led  by  this  young  messenger  of  mercy  to  seek  pardon  foi 
their  sins,  and  lay  hold  on  the  hope  of  heaven. 

"One  very  aged  Frenchwoman  welcomed  her  footstep  with  all 
the  ardour  of  her  nation.  We  shall  not  forget  that  large  old- 
fashioned  apartment,  with  its  deep  recesses  and  its  earthen  floor, 
— the  fine  figure  of  its  inmate,  upright  as  a  dart,  though  incapible 
of  moving  from  her  chair, — the  delicately  plaited  and  snowy  3ap 
and  'kerchief, — her  knitting  cast  aside,  on  which,  although  bknd, 
she  was  constantly  employed, — and  both  hands  at  once  held  out 
to  her  'chere,  chere,  petite  Ma'amselle  Marie,'  so  often  the 
cheerer  of  her  lonely  home.  Marie  came  frequently  to  read  to 
her  of  Jesus,  and  the  old  woman  said  she  had  taken  him  into  her 
heart,  and  that  he  was  always  with  her.  She  looked  very  happy, 
and  perfectly  contented,  and  seemed  to  live,  from  visit  to  visit,  on 
the  words  she  remembered  from  the  book, 

"In  another  part  of  her  district,  at  Le  Dicq,  Marie  had  esta- 
blished Sunday-schools,  where  she  and  her  sister  had  gathered 
together  some  children  in  a  room  on  the  wild  and  rugged  sea- 
shore— a  ragged  school — before  ragged  schools  were  thought  of 
in  London;  and  after  their  early  labours,  on  the  Sabbath,  in  the 
large  schools  attached  to  her  father's  church,  and  attending 
morning  service,  they  were  accustomed  to  snatch  a  slight  meal, 
and  walk  ofi"  in  all  weathers  to  their  new  and  untamed  pupils 
here,  who  must  be  taught  to  read  before  they  could  receive  the 
Bible,  and  with  whom  it  was  evident  that  persevering  love  and 
energy  would  soon  be  successful. 

"We  paid  a  visit  with  her  to  the  Bible  committee.  She  had 
many  home  responsibilities,  which  were  very  sweetly  fulfilled, — 
and  she  was  the  light  of  the  household  to  her  widowed  father; 
but  these  private  duties  did  not  prevent  her  from  acting  as  secre- 
tary to  more  than  one  oenevolent  institution;  and  of  the  Ladies' 
Bible  Society,  sLe  was,  steadily  and  quietly,  the  moving  spring. 
While  others  might  take  the  honour  and  the  appearance  of  pre- 
cedence, she  was  content  to  work  untired,  and  to  bring  all  she 
could  persuade  by  influence  and  example  to  work  too,  yet  herself 
claiming  no  praise  and  no  observance.     Her  heart  and  soul  were 


JUVENILE   ASSOCIATIONS,  343 


in  the  service,  and  her  zeal  appeared  only  equalled  by  her  self- 
knowledge  and  her  humility. 

"We  told  her  one  day  that  she  was  born  to  be  a  missionary, 
when  she  replied,  ^It  must  be  a  missionary  to  France;  but  I 
have  work  enough  in  Jersey  for  many  years  to  come.  God  has 
placed  us,  you  perceive,  between  two  great  nations, — England 
and  France.  He  has  given  us  the  government  of  the  one,  the 
language  of  the  other,  and  the  privilege  of  unrestrained  inter- 
course with  both ;  and  I  often  think  why  this  is.  England  has 
the  gospel,  and  now  gives  it  to  us;  France  has  it  not;  but  Eng- 
land has  not  the  language  of  France,  and  so  cannot  speak  to  her 
in  her  own  tongue.  Jersey  ought  to  preach  the  gospel  to  France. 
The  light  which  is  in  her  was  brought  from  France.  I  wish  I 
ever  might  spread  Bibles  there.' " 

God  did  not  suffer  this  desire  to  be  realized.  Ere  she  reached 
her  twenty-second  year,  he  took  hier  to  himself,  to  the  great  sor- 
row of  all  who  knew  her.  She  died  of  consumption  on  the  21st 
of  August,  1839,  the  day  twenty  years  after  her  mother,  who 
had  been  carried  off  by  the  same  insidious  disease;  and  now, 
father,  mother,  and  daughter,  are,  we  doubt  not,  together  in 
heaven ! 

But  although  these  first  sowere  of  the  good  seed  in  Jersey  are 
no  more,  the  Bible  Society  continues  its  work,  and  the  seed  has 
sprung  up,  and  bring-s  forth  fruit  abundantly.  Instead  of  the  one 
association  in  which  Marie  laboured,  there  are  now  fourteen  asso- 
ciations, a  ladies'  branch,  and  an  auxiliary, — each  association 
having  eight  or  twelve  collectors,  besides  its  ofl&cers :  upward  of 
3000  Bibles  have  been  distributed  by  them. 

JUVENILE   ASSOCIATIONS. 

There  is  one  more  department  of  the  agency  now  at  work  for 
the  Bible  Society,  which  it  is  particularly  pleasant  to  contemplate. 
Children  were  among  its  earliest  friends;  and  in  associations 
organized  for  them  by  their  teachers,  in  schools  and  in  families, 
they  have  always  contributed  to  its  funds  with  delight.  They 
are  beings  who  are  apt  to  interest  themselves  in  all  that  is  going 


344  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


on  around  tliem,  and  in  their  little  hearts  they  always  keep  theii 
fathers'  jubilees  :  "  Seest  thou  not  what  they  do  in  the  cities  of 
Judah,  and  in  the  streets  of  Jerusalem  ?  The  children  gather 
wood,  and  the  fathers  kindle  the  fire,  and  the  women  knead  their 
dough,  to  make  cakes  to  the  queen  of  heaven/'  Jer.  vii.  17, 18. 
If,  therefore,  the  children  of  idolatrous  parents  help  them,  what 
is  to  prevent  that  the  children  of  those  who  love  God's  word,  and 
seek  to  circulate  it,  should  help  them  also  ?  Jesus  said,  "  Whoso 
shall  not  receive  the  kingdom  of  Grod  as  a  little  child,  shall  in  no 
wise  enter  therein."  The  Story  of  the  Book  of  Grod  is  a  story  for 
all  ages.  It  embraces  details  almost  too  many  and  too  mighty  to 
be  rendered  down  to  the  ear  of  restless  childhood;  yet  it  has 
been  our  highest  ambition  so  to  write  it  that  a  child  might 
understand  it;  and  if  we  have  succeeded,  it  will  work  its  own 
results.  More  children  will  come  forward,  with  the  ardour  and 
simplicity  of  their  age,  to  help  forward  this  great  work  of  God. 

Ecery  child  and  young  ^cr&on  can  help.  There  are  fifty-four 
Juvenile  Bible  Associations  entered  as  tributaries  on  the  books  of 
the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society.  Some  of  thom  have  very 
pretty  names,  such  as  "Twig,"  "Blossom,"  "Rivulet,"  "Drop," 
and  "  Crumb ;"  and  they  are  spread  over  fourteen  or  fifteen  of  the 
counties  of  England.  There  is  also  one  in  Jersey,  and  several  in 
Wales.  In  Manchester  there  are  fou?'  "  Blossoms,"  one  of  which 
has  in  the  last  year  contributed  the  handsome  sum  of  32/.  9s.  Qd. 
to  the  funds  of  the  society.  The  difierent  Juvenile  Bible  Societies  of 
Manchester,  altogether,  have  raised  this  year  the  sum  of  63Z.  2s. ; 
and  the  money  they  collect  noio  is  not  their  chief  benefit,  for  it  is 
hoped  that  many  faithful  and  persevering  little  labourers  will  thus 
1)6  trained  and  raised  up  to  support  the  Bible  society  in  days  to 
come.  From  among  those  who  are  noio  children,  must  arise  the 
future  secretaries,  and  translators,  and  home  and  foreign  agents ; 
and  the  present  small  donations  which  they  bring  will  be  promises 
and  pledges  of  larger  donations  in  riper  years.  It  may  be  that 
some  few  will  inherit  fortune  and  estate;  and  if  they  have  belongs 
ed  to  an  early  "  Blossom  Bible  Society,"  it  may  influence  theii 
hearts  to  be  the  liberal  donors  of  the  thousand  guineas  at  a  time. 


TWIG   AND    BLOSSOM    SOCIETIES.  345 


which  can  nowhere  be  better  cast  than  into  the  treasury  for  the 
distribution  of  God's  word.  Others  will  give  time  and  talent,  as 
they  may  be  needed. 

They  will  be  led  to  think  of  the  wide,  wide  world,  and  its  want 
ot  the  Bible,  and  perhaps  themselves  make  some  sacrifices  to  aid 
its  distribution.  In  the  Moravian  schools  at  Fulneck,  numbers 
of  the  young  people  abstained  altogether  from  sugar,  to  give  the 
amount  allowed  them  in  lieu  of  it  to  the  Bible  Society  fund. 

Every  child  who  can  save,  or  give,  or  lead  others  to  give,  but 
fourpence  a  week  to  a  Bible  box  or  association,  may  every  week 
consider  that  this  will  be  the  means  of  giving  the  four  Gospels, 
if  not  a  whole  New  Testament,  to  a  poor  Chinese.  These  little 
"Twig''  and  "Blossom"  Societies  have  their  regular  meetings  for 
business,  their  account-books,  and  their  accounts  duly  rendered 
in ;  and  as  children  at  school  are  sometimes  lavishly  supplied 
with  money  by  indulgent  parents,  this  opens  a  source  for  legiti- 
mate investment  of  much  that  might  be  thoughtlessly  and  selfishly 
spent. 

One  of  the  domestic  agents  of  the  Bible  Society  says  that  he 
had  the  pleasure  of  exhibiting  what  is  commonly  called  "The  Bible 
Society  Map"*  to  the  pupils  under  the  care  of  Mrs.  E.,  of  Devizes, 
and  that  he  shall  not  soon  forget  the  eager  attention  and  deep  feel- 
ing with  which  the  young  ladies  surveyed  the  whole.  The  moral 
state  of  the  population  of  the  globe  was  explained  by  the  aid  of 
the  colours  selected  for  the  purpose.  All  were  struck  with  the 
very  small  space  coloured  pink,  to  represent  Christianity,  and  the 
very  large  proportion  of  blue  and  yellow,  showing  what  countries 
are  still  Mohammedan  and  Pagan.  It  was  observed,  that  the  great 
work  in  which  the  Bible  Society  is  engaged  is  to  change  the  moral 
state  of  the  word,  to  obliterate  the  blue  and  the  yellow,  and  to 
pink,  that  is,  to  Christianize  the  whole  population  of  the  earth. 
Soon  after  the  little  lecture  was  finished,  and  while  sitting  at  the 
breakfast-table,  a  knock  at  the  door  was  heard,  and  a  little  girl 
came  in  and  placed    a    paper    containing    something    heavy  in 

*Ss3page  194. 


346  THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


Mr. 's  hand,  without  saying  a  word.     It  contained  a  note,  of 

whicli  the  following  is  a  copy :  "  The  young  ladies  of  Mrs.  E.^b 

establishment  beg  Mr. 's  acceptance  of  the   enclosed  trifle 

towards  pinking  the  world — August,  1840.'^ 

The  '^trifle"  amounted  to  the  sum  of  twenty-three  shillings, 
contributed  of  their  own  accord  toward  an  object  well  worthy  of 
it.  May  many  schools  do  likewise  in  this  Jubilee  Year !  They 
had  afterward  the  gratification  to  learn  that  this  money  would 
provide  at  that  time  twenty- three  Testaments  and  more  than  nine 
Bibles.     It  would  now  provide  many  more.  ^ 


As  this  chapter  has  been  devoted  to  a  consideration  of  the  agen 
cies  at  work  for  the  Bible  Society,  we  must  not  close  it  without  a 
notice  of  those  efforts  which  are  put  forth  from  time  to  time,  by 
individual  friends,  not  ofl&cially  connected  with  the  society,  who 
have  scattered  the  seed  of  the  word  where  they  have  resided  or 
travelled.  The  following  is  but  a  specimen  of  one  among  thou- 
sands of  opportunities  occurring,  those  who  have  the  object  always 
in  view,  of  circulating  the  Scriptures;  and  as  we  have  given  many 
instances  of  the  way  in  which  missionaries  and  the  friends  of  edu- 
cation co-operate  with  the  Bible  Society,  this  incident  will  likewise 
show  how  a  tract  will  often  act  as  a  pioneer  to  the  Bible. 

You  have  heard  of  Boulogne- sur-Mer;  and  any  of  our  readers 
who  may  have  passed  through  that  town  on  their  way  to  Paris, 
or  may  have  resided  there  for  awhile,  will,  perhaps,  know  that  a 
separate  portion  of  it  consists  of  the  dwellings  of  the  fishing-people, 
who  devote  themselves  especially,  during  the  season,  to  the  catch- 
ing, curing,  and  sale  of  herrings.  Les  Matelots,  as  they  are 
called,  are  a  very  interesting  race.  They  have  a  peculiar  costume, 
— the  women  wearing  short,  thick,  scarlet  or  striped  skirts,  and 
dark-blue  jackets,  with  a  beautifully-plaited  cap.  Their  best  suit 
is  considered  their  fortune;  and  the  chief  piece  of  furniture  in 
their  cottages  is  a  large  wardrobe  to  contain  the  riches  of  their 
dress,  which  the  girls  buy  as  they  earn  money  by  selling  fish,  or 
carrying  boxes  and  parcels  or  shore  from  the  steam-boats.     They 


"LES   MATELOTS"   of  BOULOGNE.  347 


are  a  very  hardy  and  industrious  race,  and  are  continually  making 
or  mending  nets  for  their  husbands  and  brothers,  while  they  are 
following  their  occupation  at  sea. 

In  their  way,  and  according  to  their  own  estimation,  they  are 
very  pious.  They  pray  perpetually  to  the  holy  Virgin  for  safety 
in  their  perilous  vocation;  and,  on  returning  from  a  voyage,  they 
go  and  kneel  at  the  crucifix  on  the  top  of  the  cliffs,  and  offer 
thanks  for  their  preservation.  They  are  very  ignorant,  because 
no  one  teaches  them ;  but  many  are  ready  to  receive,  if  it  were 
offered,  the  true  light  of  the  gospel. 

One  of  these  fisher-girls,  of  a  very  interesting  appearance  and 
kind  disposition,  was  in  the  daily  habit  of  bringing  water  from 
the  fountain,  for  the  use  of  an  English  family,  who  had  taken  up 
their  residence  for  three  months  in  a  house  by  the  sea-side,  not 
far  from  the  fishing-town  :  her  name  was  Genevieve.  One  even- 
ing she  saw  the  lady  at  the  window,  and,  somewhat  to  her  sur- 
prise, asked  her  if  she  would  be  so  kind  as  to  read  a  little  to  her, 
as  some  English  lady  had  done  before.  She  said  that  she  liked 
histories,  but  had  never  been  taught  to  read,  otherwise  she  would 
not  ask  the  favour. 

The  lady  was  glad  to  comply  with  her  request.  She  read  to 
her  some  chapters  in  the  New  Testament,  a  book  that  Genevieve 
had  never  seen,  and  offered  to  read  a  portion  of  it  every  day,  if 
she  would  come  to  hear  it. 

After  some  days,  the  fisher-girl  said  that  she  had  been  telling 
her  father  about  this  reading,  that  he  could  read,  and  that  he 
wished  to  have  the  book.  The  lady  lent  her  a  French  New  Tes- 
tament to  take  home  with  her,  and  the  fisherman  read  thirty 
pages,  on  first  sitting  down  to  it-,  aloud  .to  his  family,  and  then  he 
took  it  to  sea  with  him. 

It  is  usual  for  several  fishermen  to  own  a  boat  among  them, 
and  this  man  read  the  New  Testament  to  his  partners  when  they 
were  out  at  sea,  being  particularly  pleased  with  those  histories 
which  are  given  in  the  Gospels,  of  the  Apostle  Peter  and  his 
companions  fishing. 

After  the  glad  receptinivi  of  this  one  Testament,  Genevi6ve  w^ 


348  THE    BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


asked  if  sli-e  knew  of  any  one  else  among  her  people  who  wished 
for  a  Testament  in  their  own  language.  She  said  she  thought 
she  did ;  and  half-a-dozen  Testaments  being  procured  from  the 
depository  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  in  the  Rue 
de  L'Ecu,  the  fisher-girl  accompained  the  lady  up  and  down  the 
alley  in  which  she  lived.  That  was  a  very  different  alley  from 
an  alley  in  London.  It  stretches  from  the  top  to  the  bottom  of 
the  steep  cliff;  and  the  houses  on  either  side,  being  built  one 
above  another,  are  reached  by  flights  of  broad  stone  stairs,  each 
landing-place  having  its  own  sea-view.  Here  Genevieve's  mother 
was  found  spinning  the  string  which  they  afterwards  make  into  nets. 

At  every  door  was  offered  a  New  Testament.  Two  were 
bought,  and  four  were  thankfully  received;  twenty-eight  were 
afterwards  disposed  of,  and  in  three  or  four  houses  the  lady  was 
eventually  asked  to  come  and  read  to  them.  The  best  time  for 
this  was  found  to  be  on  the  Sabbath  afternoon,  when  the  women 
came  to  listen  in  groups  of  eight  and  ten.  This  is  their  only 
leisure  afternoon  of  the  week,  when  they  generally  put  on  their 
gayest  dress  and  go  up  the  cliffs  to  the  cinicifix,  ''pour  prior  Dieu, 
et  adorer  la  Yierge."  The  visitor  met  with  no  single  instance 
of  incivility  in  all  her  intercourse  with  this  "Billingsgate"  of 
France;  and  it  appeared  to  her  that  if  God  intends  mercy  to 
this  large  town,  it  is  among  these  despised  ^'esclaves"  of  the 
population  that  it  will  be  first  received. 

Another  incident  occurred  in  the  same  year,  1847,  which  made 
a  good  Frenchwoman  say,  "  The  Lord's  time  is  come,  and  He  is 
going  to  work  among  those  Matelots." 

A  poor  woman,  who  lived  in  the  fishing-town,  had  a  tract  lent 
to  her  called  "  Le  Bon  Berger."  She  lent  it  to  a  cousin,  an  old 
fisherman  past  work,  and  he,  reading  it  with  great  interest,  gave 
it  a  new  name.  He  called  it  "  La  Brebis  Egaree."  He  read  it 
to  his  wife  and  daughter,  and  lent  it  to  his  friends,  saying,  "if 
this  was  the  new  religion,  they  would  find  it  better  than  the  old 
one."  This  was  because  the  tract  led  the  people  directly  to  Jesus 
as  the  Good  Shepherd  for  lost  sheep,  and  not  round  aboutj  to  asj: 
for  the  prayers  of  the  Virgin  Mary 


THE   PRECIOUS    TRACT.  349 


It  was  wonderful,  therefore,  to  see  how  it  appealed  to  the  com- 
mon-sense of  the  people  !  It  was  read  to  twenty  of  them  at 
once,  by  a  little  boy,  who  was  a  good,  clear,  loud  reader ;  and 
then  it  came  back  to  the  old  woman  who  had  been  its  original 
lender;  but  it  never  stayed  at  home.  First  one  borrowed  it, 
then  another :  it  was  read  by  the  crews  of  five  of  the  boats,  and 
at  last  the  lady  who  was  distributing  the  Testaments  heard  of  it, 
and  she  borrowed  the  dirty  treasure,  and  read  it  with  deep  in- 
terest. 

It  was  a  simple  allegory,  and  a  fresh  proof  of  the  power  of 
allegory  over  the  common  mind.  It  depicted  the  tender  love  of 
Christ  to  a  lost  sheep, — his  living  to  seek  it,  and  dying  to  save 
it, — in  a  style  particularly  calculated  to  please  the  French. 

This  tract  continued  to  go,  dirtier  and  dirtier,  from  house  to 
house,  even  more  welcomed,  and  always  making  way  for  the  Tes- 
tament, which  it  seemed  the  instrument  designed  to  do.  When 
it  was  reclaimed  one  day  from  a  fine  old  Pharisee,  who  had  said, 
"she  had  done  so  many  good  works  all  her  days,  that  God  had 
never  given  her  an  hour's  illness,"  she  was  heard  to  say  with 
tears  in  her  eyes,  "  Mais  je  suis  cette  brebis  egaree.''  A  neigh- 
bour of  hers  had  earnestly  desired  to  have  it,  saying  she  would 
then  take  it  and  read  it  from  house  to  house,  all  through  the  fish- 
ing-town. 

A  hundred  copies  of  this  tract  were  afterwards  put  into  circu- 
lation among  the  fishing  people.  In  the  early  spring  of  1848,  the 
fishing-boat  in  which  Genevieve's  father  and  brother  were  part- 
ners, went  down  one  stormy  night,  with  all  the  crew, — so  that 
the  Testament  and  the  tract  were  sent  to  them  in  the  last  year 
of  their  lives;  they  read  both  dOi gently;  and  let  us  hope  that 
they  read  to  the  salvation  of  their  souls. 

Now  this  fact  may  present  a  picture  of  the  state  of  thousands 
of  other  districts  and  towns  in  Roman  Catholic  countries.  The 
poor  people  would  hear  the  gospel  if  they  might.  How  vast  an 
account  of  souls  those  have  to  render  at  God's  awful  bar,  whc 
leave  them  alone  in  their  ignorance,  or  only  fill  their  ears  with 
thf  rubbish  of  popish  miracles  and  saints'  lives,  instead  of  the 

Hit 


850  THE  Book  and  its  story. 


pure  word  whicl   God  has  given  to  guide  all  to  Himself,  afl  "the 
Crood  Shepherd,  '  we  scarcely  dare  to  think. 


And  the  friends  of  the  Bible  had  need  awake  to  their  respon- 
sibilities !  They  have  on  their  side  God  and  his  word,  and  the 
promise  that  "  truth  shall  prevail  /^  but  the  prince  of  the  power 
of  the  air  has  also  his  active  agents,  and  in  numbers  they  far 
surpass  the  soldiers  of  the  Cross.  He  has,  it  is  true,  no  mighty 
organization  like  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  for  circu- 
lating any  one  book  of  fasehood  that  should  deny  our  Book  of 
truth ;  but  he  has  earnest  missionaries  and  zealous  educators,  and 
he  causes  to  be  issued  an  astounding  total  of  tracts  and  newspa 
pers  that  serve  his  purpose.  He  has  until  now  maintained  in 
China  and  India  his  giant  fabrics  of  idolatry.  He  is  strengthen- 
ing at  every  point  the  once  crumbling  shrines  of  popery,  and  he 
has  begun  to  give  to  infidelity  that  spirit  of  co-operation  and 
union  which  was  declared  to  be  "  the  only  thing  wanting  to  make 
it  the  most  terrible  enemy  of  the  Church  of  God.'^* 

The  writer  of  a  book  called  "  The  Power  of  the  Press,"  in- 
forms us,  that  eleven  millions  seven  hundred  and  two  thousand 
copies  of  absolutely  vicious  and  Sabbath-breaking  newspapers  are 
circulated  every  year  in  Great  Britain,  while  the  sum  total  of  the 
issue  of  Bibles  and  religious  tracts  does  not  amount,  in  a  year,  to 
one-third  of  this  number. 

There  are  about  sixty  cheap  periodicals  issued  every  week  of  a 
positively  pernicious  tendency.  Some  of  them  issue  100,000  a 
week,  some  80,000,  some  20,000,  having  among  the  whole  a 
yearly  sale  of  six  millions  two  hundred  and  forty  thousand. 

There  are,  besides  these,  infidel  and  polluting  publications 
which  make  lovers  of  the  Bible  wonder  where  their  readers  can 
be  found,  but  which  nevertheless  have  a  yearly  circulation  of  ten 
million  four  hundred  thousand  ! 

And  there  are  yet  others  so  intensely  wicked,  that  the  rest  de- 

*  "Essay  on  Popery  and  Infidelity,"  by  Mr.  Douglas,  of  Cavers. 


PERNICIOUS    PUBLICATIONS.  351 


notuice  them  as  wicked,  and  which  can  only  be  sold  by  stealth, 
whose  issues  this  writer  specifies  as  five  hundred  and  twenty 
thousand  annually! 

He  sums  up  his  total  thus : 

Ten  stamped  papers  .         .  .  11,702,000 

Six  unstamped  papers    .         .  6,240,000 

Sixty  pernicious  periodicals  .  10,400,000 

Worst  class. ....  520,000 

Total  .  .  .  28,862,000. 
And  this  is  only  in  our  own  Christian  country.  Week  after 
week,  year  after  year,  does  this  tide  of  evil  roll  on :  and  what 
does  the  Church  of  God  do  to  meet  it  ?  Adding  together  the 
annual  issues  of  Bibles,  Testaments,  religious  tracts,  newspapers, 
and  periodicals  of  every  kind,  we  find  a  total  of  24,418,620, 
leaving  a  balance  on  the  side  of  evil  of,  alas  !  four  millions  four 
hundred  and  forty-three  thousand  three  hundred  and  eighty  !* 

It  may  still  be  less  generally  known,  that  free-thinkers,  as  they 
call  themselves,  have  now  instituted  a  conference-meetinor  for  ex- 
amining  the  progress  of  their  various  societies,  in  difierent  parts 
of  the  kingdom.  They,  too,  have  perceived  that  "union  is 
strength,"  and  from  Bolton,  Blackburn,  Glasgow,  Bradford,  Man- 
chester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne,  Nottingham,  Paisley,  Preston, 
Stafibrd,  and  Sheffield,  they,  too,  have  their  reports  of  each 
other's  proceedings.  This  is  a  new  feature  of  the  times,  and, 
sad  to  ssij,  the  paper  which  makes  known  their  results,  and  gives 
union  and  emphasis  to  their  efibrts  against  the  Bible,  is  con- 
ducted with  a  calm  determination,  not  with  low  abuse,  by  a  man 
who  was  once  a  scholar  in  a  Sunday-school. 

There  are  annually  issued — 

Of  infidel  publications  12,200,200 
Of  atheistic  ditto  .  .  624,000 
Of  popish  ditto  .     .     .        520,000 

Making  a  total  of         13,344,200. 

*  See  "  Church  ir  Earnest,"  pp.  94,  97. 


352  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS   STORY. 


All  these  have  their  active  distributors  :  they  are  met  with  in  the 
railway-carriage  and  on  the  steamboat,  scattering  industriously 
and  gratuitously  those  seeds  of  evil  with  confident  expectation, 
that,  when  those  are  well  sown,  England  will  be  revolutionized. 
Let  us  arise,  then,  against  this  host,  to  the  help  of  all  that  ia 
holy,  and  especially  to  the  diligent  dissemination  of  the  word  of 
God,  which  shall  overcome  them  all — "  to  the  help  of  the  Lord, 
against  the  mighty  \" 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


Jubilee  Review  of  the  Heathen  Countries  of  the  World — The  Bible  in  India — 
In  China :  Extraordinary  Religious  Movement  there :  Sew-Tseuen,  the  Leader 
of  the  Insurgents — Japan  in  all  probability  without  a  Bible — Loochoo  Islands 

Let  us  now  take  up  the  forty-ninth  Report  of  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society,  issued  in  the  year  1853,  and  see  if  we 
think  it  any  longer  a  "  dull  book,"  being  better  prepared  to  under- 
stand it. 

Omv  five  threads  must  also  be  resumed  once  more,  on  which  to 
string  the  facts  of  chief  importance  that  may  be  collected  from 
our  "  Jubilee  Review;"-  but  we  may  be  permitted  to  reverse  their 
order,  and  take,  first,  the  heathen  and  pagan  countries  of  the 
world,  and  we  shall  therefore  open  this  Bible  Report  at  page  79 
upon — 

INDIA. 

"  The  Indian  empire  of  Great  Britain — that  vast  appendage  to 
an  island  throne — is  not  merely  a  country  but  a  continent.  In 
ancient  days  it  contained  numerous  independent  kingdoms, 
stretching  1800  miles  in  length,  and  1300  in  breadth.  It  includes 
all  varieties  of  climate,  scenery,  and  soil.  The  giant  range  of  the 
Himalayas,  capped  with  eternal  snow,  the  fertile  plains  of  th« 


THE    BIBLE    IN   INDIA.  353 


river  Ganges,  and  the  high  table-land  of  the  Mysore,  alike  rank 
among  its  territories.  Its  130,000,000  of  people  speak  thirteen 
different  languages.  Its  lowland  plains  produce  the  cheapest  food 
of  various  kinds,  and  the  warmth  of  its  climate  requires  but 
scanty  clothing.  Its  mineral  treasures  are  abundant,  and  it  has 
giant  forests  of  the  most  useful  trees.  Its  noble  rivers  furnish  a 
ready  highway  for  trade,  and  the  cheapness  of  labour  brings  its 
vast  produce  into  the  market  at  a  low  rate.  The  taper  fingers  of 
its  natives  can  carve  exquisitely  in  ebony  and  ivory,  and  their 
shawls,  their  muslins,  and  their  jewelry,  are  yet  unrivalled  in  all 
the  world.  Its  population  includes  the  clever  and  insinuating 
Brahmin,  the  submissive  and  patient  Sudra,  the  poor  outcast 
Paria,  and  the  indolent  Mussulman.  It  includes  the  coward  and 
cunning  Bengali,  the  spirited  Hindustani,  the  martial  Sikh  and 
Mahratta,  the  mercantile  Armenian,  the  active  and  honest  Parsee, 
the  busy  Telugu,  and  the  uncivilized  tribes  who  now  inhabit  the 
hill  forests,  but  who  once  roamed  as  lords  over  the  outspread 
plains." 

These  millions  of  people  are  chiefly  idolaters,  and  caste  divides 
them  into  sections,  each  set  against  the  other;  but  they  yield 
implicit  obedience  to  the  dictation  of  their  priests,  and  the  asser- 
tions of  their  shastras  or  holy  books; — for  the  greater  part  of 
this  land  is  yet  unprovided  with  teachers  of  the  gospel. 

To  obtain  an  idea  of  the  extent  of  India,  we  must  remember, 

that,  if  Russia  be  kept  out  of  mind,  it  is  as  large  and  j^ojndous 

as  all  Europe ;  and  to  realize  the  state  of  its  missions,  we  must, 

at  present,  think  of  one  missionary  to  every  350,000  people  ! — no 

more  1     Let  France  be  thought  of  as  Bengal,  and  suppose  that 

France  were  utterly  heathen,  and  that  Christian  benevolence  sent 

thirty  missionaries  for  Paris  and  the  suburbs,  two  for  Guienne,  a 

few  for  Dauphiny,  but  none  for  Britanny,  Normandy,  Burgundy. 

Lorraine,  Gascony,  Champagne,  or  Languedoc ;  then  let  Bavaria 

be  thought  of  as  Bundelkund,  Sweden   and   Norway  as   Oude 

Great  Britain  and  Ireland  as  the  various  hill  tribes,  Italy  as  tho 

Nizam's  country,  and  Turkey  and  Greece  as  the  Punjaiib  ard 

Scinde,  almost  together  unsupplied  with  Christian  teachers  : — you 

30* 


"854  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


need  not  wonder  that  scoffers  return  home  from  their  Indiau 
travels,  and  say,  '^  thej  never  met  with  a  single  missionary  or  a 
single  convert/'  There  has  been,  a  strange  neglect  of  India 
hitherto  as  a  mission-field.  In  the  West  Indies  there  are  not  less 
than  350  missionaries  to  instruct  a  population  of  2,500,000,  but 
in  India  there  are  but  403  missionaries  to  130,000,000  of 
people ! 

But  now,  what  has  the  Bible,  "  the  missionary  of  missionaries," 
done  in  India  ? 

We  have  seen  the  great  translators,  Carey,  Marshman,  and 
Ward,  commencing  their  work  on  this  wide  continent,  in  1793 
In  1806,  they  began  to  print  the  Scriptures  in  six  languages;  but 
in  1809,  no  English  Bibles  had  ever  been  sent  to  Madras  for  sale, 
and  it  was  almost  impossible  to  procure  one.  In  those  times, 
when  a  considerable  army  was  in  the  field,  and  it  became  necessary 
to  obtain  a  Bible,  it  was  with  difficulty  that  a  copy  could  be  found 
with  any  of  the  European  officers  or  men.  Bishop  Corrie,  in 
1811,  makes  the  following  interesting  record  :  ^^In  1807,  when  I 
was  stationed  at  Chunar,  a  native  Boman  Catholic  used  to  visit  me 
for  religious  instruction.  There  was  not  at  this  time  any  transla- 
tion of  the  Scriptures  to  put  into  his  hand.  [The  Hindui  Bible 
had  not  then  been  published.]  I  therefore  selected  some  of  the 
most  important  passages  in  the  Bible,  and  dictated  a  translation 
of  them,  very  imperfectly,  it  is  true,  but  to  the  best  of  my  ability, 
to  the  poor  man,  who  wrote  them  on  a  number  of  pieces  of  loose 
paper.  I  heard  nothing  more  of  him  for  many  years,  but  have 
been  lately  informed  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wilkinson  of  Gooruckpore, 
who  visited  him  on  his  death-bed,  that,  on  entering  into  conversation 
with  him,  he  was  surprised  at  his  acquaintance  with  scriptural 
religion.  He  asked  an  explanation,  and  the  poor  man  produced 
the  loose  slips  of  paper  on  which  he  had  written  my  translations. 
On  these  it  appears  his  soul  had  fed  through  life,  and  through 
them  he  died  such  a  death,  that  Mr.  W.  entertained  no  doubt  of 
his  having  nassed  into  glory." 

In  1831,  the  same  excellent  bishop  avows  his  belief,  "that 
future  labourers  will  reap  the  fruit  of  the  precious  seed  which  the 


BIBLE   DISSEMINATION   IN    INDIA.  355 


Bible  Society  has  been  sowing  in  India  with  so  much  diligence  for 
many  years  past/' 

And  the  reaping  of  the  harvest  has  hegun  ;  a  gradual  change  is 
taking  place  in  India;  she  has  been  given  into  the  hand  of  Eng- 
land for  a  great  purpose;  and  that  purpose  is  beginning  to  be  ac- 
complished. 

The  Report  of  1853  refers  us  to  the  Bibles  that  have  been  at 
work  since  Dr.  Carey's  time,  who  found  in  India  only  the  Tamil 
and  Telugu  Bibles.  He  published  his  Bengali,  Marathi,  and 
Uriya  Bibles ;  then  came  Henry  Martyn's  Hindustani  and  Persian 
New  Testaments,  and  the  Sanscrit  Bible  from  the  press  at  Seram- 
pore.  Dr.  Buchanan  provided  the  Syriac  Scriptures ;  more  per- 
fected editions  in  successive  years  appeared  of  the  Hindui,  the 
Persian,  the  Telugu,  and  the  Tamil ;  then  came  the  Malayalim, 
the  Canarese,  the  Punjabee  Bibles,  and  the  Burmese  Bible,  pre- 
pared by  the  devoted  American  missionaries.  We  will  not  give 
you  the  whole  list  of  dialects,  but  they  have  each  done  their  work, 
silently  and  surely,  or  rather  have  begun  to  do  it ;  and  from  this 
^'  word  of  God,  quick  and  powerful,  and  sharper  than  any  two- 
edged  sword,"  the  monstrous  dragon  of  idolatry,  bred  of  old  in 
the  slime  of  the  river  of  Egypt,  awaits  his  death-blow  in  the  mud 
of  the  Ganges.* 

When  the  Calcutta  Bible  Association  was  first  established, 
which  was  the  happy  result  of  a  memorable  sermon  preached  by 
Henry  Martyn,  just  before  he  departed  on  his  memorable  journey 
to  Persia,  its  principal  object  was  to  give  the  word  of  God  to  the 
destitute  Protestant  churches  in  India.  In  1840,  it  declared  that 
this  object  was  now  effectually  accomplished,  -^as,  in  recent  visita- 
tions made  by  the  members  of  the  committee,  scarcely  a  fimily 
of  Protestant  Christians  has  been  found  without  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures. The  Armenian  churches  have  also  been  diligently  sup- 
plied.'' The  association  then  intended  to  direct  its  attention 
more  particularly  to  the  supply  of  native  Christian  churches,  and 
Christian  schools  for  the  education  of  the  young ;  and,  as  educa* 

*  See  Katterns'  SermoE  on  "  India,  the  Stronghold  of  Idolatry/* 


356  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


tion  in  the  English  language  was  continually  on  the  increase 
among  the  natives,  new  openings  for  usefulness  were  constantly 
presenting  themselves. 

To  the  prosecution  of  this  design  we  may,  in  1853,  trace  the 
issue  of  far  larger  numbers  of  copies  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and 
happy  results  therefrom.  In  three  successive  years,  1849,  1850, 
and  1851,  the  circulation  was  43,969 ;  and  we  have  abundant 
proofs  on  every  side  that  there  is  now  in  this  country  a  wide- 
spread general  knowledge  of  Christianity;*  that  the  Christian 
Scriptures  are  regarded  with  reverence,  and  are  partially  under- 
stood by  the  people;  that  the  blessings  which  have  made  England 
great  will  shortly  elevate  also  degraded  India;  that  the  mental 
vigour  of  the  conqueror  will  be  imparted  to  the  conquered;  and 
that  the  justice,  the  moral  tone,  and  truth  of  England  are  capable 
of  being  infused  into  a  people  who  have  not  known  them  for  ages. 

The  Rev.  G.  Gogerly,  for  twenty-five  years  a  missionary  in 
Bengal,  gives  us  the  following  incidents  in  proof  of  the  present 
willingness  of  the  natives  of  India  to  receive  the  Scriptures,  in 
contrast  to  their  former  reluctance : — 

In  the  early  part  of  his  ministry,  in  India,  Mr.  Gr.  was  one  day 
preaching,  when  a  Brahmin  came  up  to  listen.  "After  the  ser- 
vice was  concluded,  a  tract  was  offered  to  him  with  a  respectful 
salutation,  'Will  you  receive  this,  my  lord?  It  concerns  Jesus 
Christ  the  Redeemer  of  the  world.  Ji  you  receive  it,  the  Sudras 
will  also  receive  it.'  He  took  it  scornfully  in  his  hand,  turned 
over  two  or  three  pages,  tore  it  across,  tore  it  again,  spat  upon  it, 
and  cast  it  in  my  face."     This  was  in  1818. 

In  1843,  the  missionaries  being  on  a  journey,  pitched  their 
tent  near  the  encampment  of  a  rajah,  who  sent  to  inquire  of  them, 
"Who  are  you?"  The  answer  was  returned,  "White  people — 
those  who  possess  the  Book  of  God,  and  beg  to  offer  you  a  copy 
thereof  in  Hindustani."  The  rajah  received  it  graciously,  took 
off  his  turban,  and  cast  it  on  the  floor,  putting  in  its  stead  the 
book  upon  his  head :  then  he  removed  it,  and  pressed  it  to  his 

*  See  "  Bible  in  India." 


HINDUI    SCRIPTURES.  357 


heart,  saying,  "  As  I  have  placed  it  on  my  head,  I  m\\  receive  it 
into  my  mind.  As  I  have  clasped  it  to  my  breast,  I  will  welcome 
it  to  my  heart."  We  know  the  native  character  well  enough  to 
remember,  that  this  might  be  all  mere  politeness,  and  possibly 
meant  nothing  more;  but  still  it  shows  a  different  state  of  feeling 
from  former  contumely,  and  may  be  taken  as  a  specimen  of  the 
present  general  reception  of  the  Bible  in  India. 

He  adds,  "We  had  the  opportunity  of  conveying  also  a  copy 
of  the  Scriptures  to  Dost  Mohammed,  the  potentate  of  Affgha- 
nistan,  (that  land  of  Mohammedans,  so  inveterate  in  its  opposi- 
"tion,  and  which  will  not  admit  colporteurs,)  through  the  means 
of  an  English  child  with  whom  he  was  foAd  of  playing." 

The  Bible,  which  has  made  England  and  America  the  mis- 
sionaries of  the  world,  will  destroy  India's  idolatry  and  caste,  will 
purify  her  people  from  their  immoralities,  and  will  raise  her 
female  population.  But  how  is  it  noio  being  distributed  in  India  ? 
"In  1848,  the  committee  of  the  Calcutta  Auxiliary  perceived 
with  deep  regret  that  only  35,429  Bengali  Bibles  had  been  issued 
in  the  space  of  nine  years,  for  the  many  millions  of  Bengal. 
While  contemplating  this  inadequate  supply,  they  felt  that  it 
would  be  good  to  institute  an  extensive  succession  of  missionary 
journeys,  to  inquire  into  the  wants  of  the  people." 

In  1852,  they  again  resolved  to  make  grants  for  these  missionary 
tours,  and  in  the  cold  season  planned  nine  more  journeys,  three 
of  which  they  proposed  to  the  missionaries  of  the  Church  Mis- 
sionary Society,  and  three  to  the  London  Missionary  Society,  and 
others  to  the  Free  Church  and  Baptist  missionaries,  &c.  The 
demand  for  Bengali  Scriptures  was  thus  again  augmented,  and  in 
one  year  amounted  to  23,288,  besides  the  copies  issued  from  Cal- 
cutta to  the  various  stations  and  agents. 

Owing  to  the  same  order  of  means,  the  Hindui  Scriptures  have 
likewise  been  largely  circulated.  The  Rev.  Gr.  Schatz,  of  the 
German  mission,  writes  :  "  The  cold  season  having  set  in  early 
and  favourably,  our  brethren  were  encouraged  to  march  out  sooner 
than  we  are  generally  able  to  do  at  Nagpore ;  and  tbey  have  met 
with  such  a  desire  after  tlic  word  of  God;  in  the  Chattra  district, 


358  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


that  we  have  been  obliged  to  send  them  one  load  of  books  aftet 
another,  and  our  stock  of  the  Scriptures  is  so  thinned,  that  we 
ihall  in  a  short  time  have  scarcely  any  book  left  but  Genesis. 
We  hope  you  will  make  us  some  grants  of  Gospels." 

In  reply  to  this  welcome  request,  the  Calcutta  Society  ordered 
to  press,  in  1850,  125,000  copies  of  the  Hindui  Scriptures. 

The  Rev.  J.  R.  Campbell,  of  the  American  mission  at  Sa- 
harunpore,  one  of  the  most  experienced  missionaries  in  the  north- 
west of  India^  writes :  "  Our  principal  distribution  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, during  the  past  year,  was  made  at  the  Hardwar  fair,  where 
thousands  of  portions  in  Hindui,  Urdii,  Persian,  and  Punjaubi, 
were  given  away  to  pilgrims  who  could  read  them,  and  who  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  carry  them  to  their  homes  in  different  and  dis- 
tant parts  of  India.  The  Bible  is  a  book  well  known  to  the 
heathen  in  this  land,  and  every  year's  experience  convinces  us 
more  thoroughly,  that  the  word  of  God  is  not  fettered,  but  spread- 
ing rapidly  through  the  masses  of  the  community.  We  find  now 
but  few  men  of  common  intelligence  who  do  not  know  something 
of  the  leading  facts  contained  in  the  Christian  Scriptures;  and  as 
but  few  have  had  an  o^^portunitij  of  hearing  the  living  jiveachcrs 
of  the  gospel,  whence  could  this  information  arise,  hut  from  the 
general  and  extensive  circulation  of  the  word  of  God?  We  must 
go  on  distributing  the  precious  seed  J' 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Hill,  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  said,  in 
a  letter  written  in  1835 :  "  One  evening,  while  preaching  at  Jag- 
hooly,  to  about  150  persons  at  my  tent  door,  I  observed  a  tall 
old  man  approaching,  leaning  on  a  silver-headed  cane.  He  sat 
down  with  the  rest,  and  listened  with  marked  attention,  and  after- 
ward addressing  me,  said,  '  Sahib,  I  have  been  to  every  holy  place 
in  India;  I  have  consulted  all  the  sages  and  pundits  I  have  met 
with;  I  am  two  years  short  of  eighty,  and  have  not  found  a 
religion  in  which  I  can  hope  for  eternity.  My  remaining  days 
are  few ;  the  evening  of  my  life  has  set  in ;  and  oh  !'  he  exclaimed 
with  emotion,  ^may  it  please  God  to  bring  me  at  the  close  of  my 
long  life  to  know  and  find  a  way  by  which  I  can  die  in  peace  ! 
Bo  give  me  a  book  which  will  tell  me  this  way,  and  I  will  road 


EAST   INDIAN    CHARACTERISTICS.  359 


It  earnestly.'  I  gave  him  a  Gospel,  aod  a  letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Murray  of  Chinsurah,  for  a  New  Testament.  I  also  led  him  by 
the  hand  into  the  tent,  and  had  an  hour's  conversation  with  him, 
in  which  I  told  him  that  he  must  expect  persecution  if  he  em- 
braced the  gospel  of  Christ.  I  had  another  interview  with  him, 
and  he  heard  another  sermon  before  I  left  the  place.  His  name 
was  Prankissen  Singh,  and  I  have  since  learned  that  he  obtained 
his  New  Testament.  Ah  !  who  can  tell  how  many  such  persons 
may  in  the  jungles  be  like  him,  thirsting  for  the  waters  of  life, 
and  endeavouring  to  feel  after  God, '  if  haply  they  may  find  him  ?'  " 

Dr.  Buchanan,  in  1807,  said  of  the  population  of  India  :  "  The 
best  eifects  may  be  expected  from  the  simple  means  of  putting  the 
Bible  into  their  hands.  All  who  are  acquainted  with  the  natives 
know,  that  instruction  by  books  is  best  suited  to  them.  They 
are,  in  general,  a  contemplative  race,  patient  in  their  inquiries, 
anxious  also  to  know  what  it  can  be  that  is  of  importance  enough 
to  be  written.  They  regard  written  precepts  with  respect;  and 
if  they  possess  a  book  in  a  language  they  understand,  it  will  not 
be  left  long  unread." 

How  delightful,  then,  to  know,  from  the  Report  of  the  Madras 
committee,  in  1853,  that  in  Southern  India, — comprising  195,000 
square  miles,  and  a  population  of  21,000,000, — Christians  are 
endeavouring  to  leaven  this  great  mass  with  the  word  of  God,  in 
the  Tamil,  Telugu,  Canarese,  Malayalim,  and  Hindustani  lan- 
guages! Since  this  committee  entered  on  their  work,  in  the 
year  1820,  almost  800,000  copies  of  the  Scriptures  (though  chiefly 
in  portions)  have  been  put  into  circulation.  During  the  past 
year,  the  number  distributed  was  67,418;  yet  this  scarcely 
amounts  to  one  copy  for  every  ten  of  the  estimated  population  of 
the  mere  town  and  suburbs  of  Madras.  You  see,  then,  the  field 
to  be  sown  !  In  some  of  the  vast  districts,  there  is  lamentable 
need  of  more  missionaries ;  and  wherever  a  portion  is  reclaimed 
from  the  desert,  and  pains  bestowed  upon  it,  a  good  measure  of 
success  is  sure  to  be  realized. 

For  the  districts  of  Tinnevelly  and  Travancore  there  is  a  large 
staff  of  missionaries  and  catcchists,  chiefly  those  of  the  Church 


660  THE    BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


of  England.  The  same  are  needed  in  the  native  states  of  Cochin 
and  the  Mysore.  The  Tamil  translation  is  still  receiving  fuither 
and  further  revision,  though  that  issued  at  Bellary  was  published 
after  sixteen  years  of  indefatigable  labour.  The  Scriptures  have 
become  the  text-book  in  all  the  native  schools,  which  are  very 
numerous;  and  thus  the  native  mind  is  opened  from  infancy  to 
perceive  the  hollowness  of  idolatry.  Large  portions  are  also  com- 
mitted to  memory.  Much  attention  has  been  paid  by  the  Madras 
committee  to  the  system  of  colportage.  It  is  now  busily  employ- 
ing fifteen  or  sixteen  colporteurs,  under  the  superintendence  of 
the  Rev.  T.  Brotherton,  who  says  :  ^'  One  of  these,  Mr.  L.,  speaks 
ar.d  reads  Tamil,  Telugu,  and  English.  He  has  visited  every 
street  and  ever}'-  house  in  a  certain  subui'b  of  Madras,  and  made 
an  ofier  of  a  copy  of  the  Gospel  of  Luke  and  of  the  Acts  to  at 
least  one  member  of  every  family.  Two  others  have  visited,  in 
one  year,  365  towns  and  villages,  offering  a  copy  of  the  gospel  at 
every  house  in  every  street.  It  is  of  no  use  to  wait,"  continues 
Mr.  Brotherton.  ^Hill  we  meet  with  missionaries  learned  in  all  the 
wisdom  of  the  Hindus,  Romanists,  and  Mohammedans,  who  will 
be  able  to  meet  on  their  own  ground  the  Brahmin,  the  Jesuit, 
and  the  Mollah.  We  must  send  out  the  native  colporteurs  to 
distribute  the  word  of  God.  If  we  cannot  yet  send  the  liuin<j 
preacher  to  these  millions,  we  can  send  the  living  ivord,  and  per- 
haps we  may  find  the  Lord  honouring  his  simple  word,  making  it 
as  plain  to  the  comprehension  of  the  Hindu  peasant,  as  he  often 
does  to  that  of  the  European  cottager.  Mr.  Hill,  of  the  London 
Mission,  when  at  one  time  proclaiming  the  love  of  Christ  and  the 
blessings  of  salvation,  could  frequently  hear  the  expressions  of, 
*  What  mercy  !'  '  What  words  of  mercy  !'  '  We  never  heard 
such  mercy  !'  '  Tarry  with  us,  sahib,  and  teach  us  more  of  these 
things.  Build  a  school,  and  we  will  undertake  to  send,  as  a 
beginning,  eighty  boys  of  respectable  families.'  '  1  told  them,' 
added  Mr.  Hill,  '  that  I  lived  at  Berhampore,  eighty  or  ninety 
miles  ofi",  that  I  was  fixed,  preached,  and  had  schools  there;  but 
I  would  give  them  books  by  which  they  might  learn  more  of  God ; 
and  that,  if  they  would  read  them  with  prayer,  God  would  teach 


EAGERNESS    FOR   THE    SCRIPTURES.  361 


them  to  serve  and  love  him.  I  gave  them  ten  or  twelve  Gospels. 
The  fields  here  seem  white — white  unto  the  harvest.' ''  ■ 

In  the  months  of  November  and  December,  1852,  and  in 
January  of  this  year,  the  Rev.  F.  Morgan,  a  Baptist  missionary, 
visited  numerous  places  where  neither  missionary  nor  Christian 
book  had  ever  been  seen  before.  He  says,  "The  desire  of  the 
people  to  obtain  the  Scriptures  is  most  intense.  Imagine  a  large 
market  with  from  one  to  two  thousand  people,  myself  on  an  ele- 
vated spot,  hundreds  of  hands  stretched  out,  and  hundreds  of 
tongues  shouting,  '  0  sahib,  a  great  thing !  oh  give  me  a  book !' 
Brahmins  and  Sudras  rolling  in  the  dust  together,  snatching  the 
books  from  one  another;  respectable  people  with  children  in  their 
hands  and  in  their  aims,  imploring  me  to  put  the  books  in  the 
hands  of  the  little  ones;  books  all  gone,  missionary  reeling  from 
the  effect  of  dust,  noise,  and  speaking;  people  imploring  for 
more  books,  and  in  some  places  I  have  been  obliged  to  go  to 
police-offices  to  rest  for  half  an  hour.  I  have  seen  Brahmin  Isids 
in  tears,  because  they  could  not  get  books,  saying,  '  0  sahib  I  I 
ran  when  I  heard  you  were  here,  and  now  what  shall  I  do  ?'  la 
many  places,  I  have  been  permitted  to  preach  on  the  platforms 
of  temples.  Brahmins  often  assisting  in  the  distribution  of  the 
Scriptures." 

To  meet  this  readiness  to  receive  the  word,  the  Parent  Society 
have  made  a  grant  of  500?.  to  the  Madras  Society,  for  colportage; 
and  they  have  already  intimated  to  the  secretaries  of  Missionary 
Societies,  labouring  in  Southern  India,  that  they  will  meet  the 
expense  incurred  by  any  missionary  on  a  tour,  one  main  object 
of  which  is  the  circulation  of  the  word  of  God,  they  being  fur- 
nished with  an  estimate  of  the  expense,  and  the  plan  of  the 
journey. 

'^  What  a  blank,"  say  the  missionaries,  "would  be  created  in 
all  our  missions,  if  we  had  no  Gospels  or  Bibles  to  distribute 
among  our  new  converts  !  How  soon  would  they  be  led  astray 
into  all  kinds  of  error,  if  they  had  not  the  lamp  of  God's  truth 
to  guide  them  into  the  paths  of  righteousness  and  peace  I" 

Wherever  a  religious  movement  has  taken  place,  it  has  been 

31 


362  ,THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


characterized,  in  the  first  instancej  by  a  desire  for  the  Scriptures. 
Some  persons  attempt  to  excuse  their  disbelief  of  Christianity 
from  witnessing  its  effects  as  imperfectly  exhibited  in  the  Uvea 
of  some  of  the  native  converts;  and  the  heathens  are  glad  to 
adduce  their  inconsistencies  as  evidence  that  there  is  no  differ- 
ence of  practice  between  themselves  and  Christians.  But  in  the 
pure  Book  there  is  no  failure !  The  Vedas,  Puranas,  and  Shas- 
tras  shrink  before  its  light.  In  the  Bible  itself  we  see  what  its 
followers  should  he;  and  this  is  always  found  the  best  argument 
with  the  natives. 

A  most  interesting  instance  of  the  power  of  the  Scriptures 
over  the  mind  of  a  learned  native  is  found  in  the  history  of  the 
Rev.  Hormusjee  Pestonjce,  in  whose  hands,  eighteen  years  ago, 
a  copy  of  the  Gospel  of  Matthew  was  placed  by  a  travelling  mis- 
sionary. The  next  year  the  father  of  this  native  took  up  the 
book,  and  read  and  re-read  it,  and  recommended  his  mischievous 
sons  to  read  it,  especially  the  5th,  6th,  and  7th  chapters.  The 
next  year,  the  family  and  its  friends  all  feared  that  this  book 
might  destroy  the  son  Ilormusjee's  faith  in  Parsiism.  The  next 
year,  he  -bought  himself  an  English  Bible  and  the  four  Gospels, 
in  Guzerathi,  and  read  both  together  for  the  sake  of  comparing 
the  two  languages.  The  next  year,  which  was  1839,  the  fears 
of  the  family  and  its  /riends  were  realized.  A  power  from  on 
high  convinced  the  hithei'to  blind  reader  of  the  Bible,  that  it  was 
not  the  language  of  literature,  but  the  Divine  instruction — not 
the  letter,  but  the  spirit  that  was  to  be  pursued.  Since  that  time, 
he  says  himself:  "Being  first  blessed,  I  have  more  or  less  en- 
deavoured, in  my  humble  way,  to  become  a  blessing  to  others, 
and  to  make  the  Bible  itself  an  ever-increasing  blessing  to  both. 
Once  a  deluded  wretch,  I  have  been  recently  set  apart  by  the 
Great  Author  of  the  Bible  to  undeceive  and  enlighten  my  fellow- 
countrymen  by  means  of  this  same  sacred  Book."  In  the  years 
1852  and  1853,  this  learned  native  is  mentioned  as  aiding  in  the 
revision  of  the  Guzerathi  Scriptures. 

But  we  must  leave  India,  difficult  as  it  is  to  turn  away  from  it, 
now  that  its  idolariy  i.-  on  the  wane,  and  its  desire  for  truth  on 


INDIA   A   FIELD    OF   VAST   IMPORTANCE.  363 


the  increase.  Mr.  Bion  of  Dacca  says:  "We  have  been  sur- 
prised to  see  how  things  are  changed.  Formerly,  we  were 
scarcely  able  to  speak  without  dispute  and  disturbance :  now,  we 
have  always  quiet  and  attentive  hearers ;  and  when  we  asked  a 
few  days  ago,  after  preaching,  whether  any  one  had  questions,  a 
Brahmin  said,  before  200  people,  '  Who  can  say  any  thing  against 
your  religion  ?  It  is  all  true  that  you  say.^  Another,  a  Mussul- 
man, said,  '  The  words  of  the  gospel  are  all  very  good  and  true, 
and  not,  as  we  formerly  thought,  mixed  with  Satan's  words.'  ^' 

Near  the  above-mentioned  place,  Dacca,  in  1818,  a  number  of 
converts  were  found    inhabiting  certain  adjacent  villages,  who 
had  forsaken  idolatry,  and  who  constantly  refused  to  pay  to  the 
Brahmins  the  customary  honours.     They  were  also  remarkable 
for  their  correctness  of  conduct  and  adherence  to  truth.     They 
were  occasionally  visited  by  several  of  our  Christian  brethren, 
both  European  and  native,  and  were  scattered  through  ten  or 
twelve  villages.     They  were,  however,  the  followers  of  no  par- 
ticular leader;  they  called  themselves  "learners,"  and  professed 
to  be  in  search  of  a  true  lawgiver  and  teacher.     Some  of  our 
native  friends,  being  very  desirous  of  knowing  whence  they  had 
derived  all  their  ideas,  were  at  length  told  that  they  had  imbibed 
them  from  a  book  which  was  carefully  preserved  in  one  of  their 
villages.     They  were  shown  this  book,  which  was  much  worn, 
and  kept  in  a  case  of  brass  for  the  purpose  of  preserving  it,  and 
which  they  were  told  liad  been  possessed  for  many  years,  although 
none  of  these  persons  could  say  whence  it  came.     On  examina- 
tion, this  hook  was  found  to  be  a  copy  of  the  Bengali  New  Testa- 
ment,  printed  at  Serampore  in  1800. 

"  Gain  India  for  Christ,"  says  an  eloquent  preacher,  "  and  the 
world  will  follow.  Destroy  idolatry  their,  and  the  rest  of  your 
work  will  be  but  clearing  the  earth  from  its  wrecks.  The  old 
serpent  has  yet  his  throne  there ;  and  as  you  pass  along  you  be- 
hold, in  token  of  it, -the  nest  of  the  living  reptile  garlanded  with 
flowers ;  but  give  India  the  Bible  !  she  is  stretching  out  her  hand 
to  receive  it,  and  it  shall  carry  into  the  innermost  recesses  of  her 
hoary  temples  the  light  of  the  glorious  gospel  of  God. 


364  THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


"It  is  impossible  to  read  of  the  devil-worship  of  Southern 
India,  without  astonishment  and  horror.  Devotees  drinking 
blood,  working  themselves  up  into  a  state  of  frenzy,  and  then 
with  frantic  violence  whirling  themselves  about,  in  wild  tumul- 
tuous dances,  till  they  sink  down  almost  dead  in  a  state  of  ex- 
haustion, '  led  captive  by  the  devil  at  his  will.'  In  sight  of  this 
fearful  picture,  the  hideous  amusemeiit  of  the  ignorant  multi- 
tudes, let  the  solemn  fact  he  weighed  and  rememheredj  that  there 
have  not  been  published  three  millions  of  Scriptures  altogether y 
for  all  the  millions  of  India,  who,  since  this  century  began,  have 
been  passing  away  to  death  and  judgment,  and  for  its  living 
millions  who  are  now  hastening  on  to  their  eternal  doom, — a  vast 
multitude  of  souls,  reaching  nearly  to  500,000,000 — a  number 
equal  to  half  the  population  of  the  globe  !" 

CHINA. 

There  is  no  part  of  the  world  that  at  this  time  can  present  so 
vast  an  extent  of  interest  to  the  eye  of  the  Christian,  as  China, — 
earth's  most  ancient  kingdom,  as  old  if  not  older  than  Egypt  or 
Nineveh,  and  which  has  endured  while  they  have  decayed!     It' 
must  rival  in  his  thoughts  even  India. 

A  famous  marble  tablet  was  dug  up  at  Se-gnan-foo,  in  the  pro- 
vince of  Shense,  in  China,  in  the  year  1625  :  upon  it  was  a  cross 
resembling  that  used  by  the  Syrians  in  Malabar,  accompanied  by 
an  inscription  in  the  Chinese  and  Syriac  languages,  describing  the 
principal  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  and  recording  the  translation  of 
the  sacred  Scriptures  into  Chinese.  It  would  appear  that,  in  the 
year  637,  Olopen,  a  Christian  missionary,  arrived  in  China,  and 
obtained  an  interview  with  the  emperor,  who  ordered  his  minister, 
then  the  most  learned  of  Chinese  scholars,  to  translate  the  sacred 
books  brought  by  Olopen. 

The  tablet  which  gives  this  record  was  erected,  according  to  its 
own  authority,  in  the  year  782.  The  Chinese  discovered  it  in 
U)25  ;  and  neither  they  nor  the  Jesuits  (then  their  teachers) 
■jjiiderstood  the  Syrian  part  of  the  inscription,  till  it  was  trans- 


CHINESE    LANGUAGE.  365 


lated  in  J^.aIabar,  which  is  not  a  small  evidence  in  favour  of  ita 

authenticity. 

It  may,  therefore,  hence  be  concluded,  that  the  old  Nestoriaxv 
Church — that  purest  primitive  church  of  the  East — sent  one  of 
its  missionaries  into  China  in  the  seventh  century ;  which  accords 
with  the  assertion  of  Mosheim's  ''Church  History,"  that  ''in  the 
seventh  century,  the  Nestorians  penetrated  into  China,  where  they 
established  several  churches."  Mosheim  likewise  says,  that  the 
Nestorian  Christians  were  found  in  China  till  the  beginning  of 
the  fifteenth  century. 

The  above  translation,  made  by  the  Chinese  minister,  may  or 
may  not  be  in  existence.  In  1805,  the  committee  of  the  Bible 
Society,  having  heard  of  a  Chinese  manuscript  version  in  the 
British  Museum,  instituted  particular  inquiries  concerning  it. 

They  found  that  it  contained  a  harmony  of  the  four  Evangelists, 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  all  the  Epistles  of  St.  Paul,  except- 
ing that  to  the  Hebrews;  but  it  appeared  from  the  style  and 
wording  to  have  been  made  from  the  Vulgate,  under  the  direction 
of  the  Jesuits ;  and  for  this  and  other  reasons  it  was  considered 
better  to  obtain  an  entirely  new  translation. 

This  version  was,  however,  very  useful  in  assisting  Dr.  Morri- 
son in  acquiring  the  language ;  and  in  1807,  he  was  sent  by  the 
London  Missionary  Society  to  Canton. 

The  Chinese  have  no  alphabet :  every  written  character  is  a 
word.  In  different  parts  of  China  they  S2:>eak  the  language  very 
differently,  but  it  is  everywhere  written  in  the  same  way. 

Three  thousand  different  characters  are  in  very  general  use. 

Some  of  them  are  simple,  as  W  a  field,  j^  a  horse,  j^  a  sheep; 

and  some  are  complex,  as  ^M  le,  which  means  gain  or  profit.     So 

it  must  be  a  difficult  task  to  learn  Chinese.  Dr.  Morrison's  dic- 
tionary contains  40,000  characters.  This  is  found  in  the  library 
of  the  Bible  Society,  in  six  volumes ;  it  was  printed  in  Malacca, 
and  cost  him  ten  years'  labour.  He  was  unable  to  print  it  in 
Canton,  from  the  jealousy  of  the  Chinese. 

The  following  curious  characters  are  Chinese.     This  specimen 

31* 


866 


THE   BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


is  a  portion  of  the  beginning  of  the  fii'st  chapter  of  St.  John's 
Gospel-: — 


A 


fJMt* 


4 

^ 

A 


P0 


4  z 

75    ffi] 


lib"  a 


Dr.  Morrison  taught  himself  this  difficult  language,  that  he 
might  translate  the  Bible.  He  accomplished  the  translation  of 
the  New  Testament,  in  the  year  1814,  after  seven  years'  incessant 
study,  at  first  undertaken  in  a  cellar,  by,  the  light  of  an  earthen- 
ware lamp,  to  avoid  observation  !  The  first  Chinese  convert  found 
a  blessing  to  his  own  soul,  while  assisting  Dr.  Morrison  to  print 
his  New  Testament.  While  thus  engaged  in  preparing  the  Bible 
for  his  countrymen,  "  he  began  to  see  that  the  merits  of  Jesus 
were  sufficient  for  the  salvation  of  all  mankind,  and  hence  believed 
on  Him — the  Holy  Spirit  printing  the  word  upon  his  heart." 

In  May,  1814,  by  the  sea-side,  at  a  spring  of  water  issuing 
from  the  foot  of  a  lofty  hill,  far  away  from  all  human  notice,  was 
baptized  by  his  rejoicing  teacher,  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Ghost,  Tsae-ako — the  first-fruits  of  a  great  harvest 


DR.  MORRISON — LEANG-A-FAH.  367 


of  souls  yet  to  be  gathered  in,  after  the  sowing  of  the  seed  of 
the  word. 

Tsae-ako  adhered  to  the  profession  of  the  gospel  until  his  death, 
which  took  place,  from  consumption,  in  1818. 

The  London  Missionary  Society  afterward  sent  out  Dr.  Milne 
to  the  aid  of  Dr.  Morrison.  Dr.  Milne  was  instrumental  in  the 
conversion  of  a  Chinese  named  Leang-a-f  ah,  whom  Dr.  Morrison 
ordained  to  the  work  of  an  evangelist  among  his  countrymen. 
Leang-a-f  ah  is  still  living,  a  valued  member  of  the  Canton  mission, 
and  has  laboured  for  upward  of  thirty-six  years  with  unwavering 
fidelity  among  those  who,  he  says,  '^  are  glued  fast  to  ten  thousand 
forms  of  idols,  but  striving  to  set  an  example  that  will  move  men's 
hearts — praying  that  the  most  high  Lord  will  convert  them." 

The  above  is  an  extract  from  one  of  his  letters  in  1828  ;  but 
it  is  not  till  the  Jubilee  Year  of  the  Bible  Society  that  C  od  seems 
to  have  poured  out  a  special  blessing  on  the  efforts  and  prayers  of 
this  first  Chinese  evangelist. 

Leang-a-f  ah  laboured  with  Dr.  Morrison  continually,  to  scatter 
the  word  of  life  in  separate  portions  among  his  countrymen.  He 
resolved  to  write  short  tracts  to  explain  the  Scriptures,  v/hich 
he  has  called  "  Scripture  Lessons,  or  Good  Words  to  admonish 
the  Age,"  for  distribution  among  the  students  at  the  literary 
examinations. 

On  the  1st  of  August,  1834,  the  beloved  Morrison  was  called 
away  by  death.  He  died  at  Canton,  amid  the  few  prayerful 
and  sorrowing  converts  who  were  given  him  for  his  reward  during 
his  twenty-seven  years  of  patient  toil ;  and  it  is  said  he  died 
"  panting  after  the  salvation  of  China." 

On  the  20th  of  the  same  month,  Leiing-a-frih,  with  two  otlier 
Christian  friends,  went  out  to  distribute  his  ^'  Scripture  Lessons,'" 
at  the  examination  of  literary  candidates.  He  distributed  5000 
one  day,  and  5000  the  next.  On  the  third  diiy  came  persecution ; 
one  of  his  friends  received  forty  blows  on  the  mouth,  which  ron 
dered  him  unable  to  speak ;  the  second  was  put  to  death ;  and 
Leaug-a-fah  fled  to  Singapore,  and  found  refuge  on  board  one  of 
the  English  ships  at  Lintin,  and  from  thence  he  thus  writes.*  ''  X 


368  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


call  to  mind  that  all  who  preach  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesuu 
must  suffer  persecution;  and,  though  I  cannot  equal  the  patience 
of  Paul  or  Job;  I  desire  to  imitate  these  ancient  saints,  and  keep 
my  heart  in  peace." 

Leang-a-fah  little  thought  that  one  of  the  tracts,  distributed  at 
Buch  a  risk,  was  to  prove  the  first  seed  of  revolution  in  China, 
and  to  turn  her  from  her  idolatry,  4000  years  old,  to  the  worship 
of  the  living  God  :  but  as  the  oak  is  in  the  acorn,  so  it  was ;  and 
he  who  sowed  the  acorn  lives  to  see  the  springing  up  of  the  tree 
that  he  planted. 

We  must  now  recount  to  you  the  -last  information  received 
from  China  concerning  the  wonderful  "  rebellion,"  as  it  is  called, 
which  threatens  to  overthrow  the  Mantchoo  or  Tartar  dynasty. 

It  appears  that  the  insurgents  have  a  leader  called  Tae-ping- 
wang,  or  Sew-tseuen,  whom  they  design  to  elevate  to  the  throne. 
They  everywhere  announce  their  resolution  to  deliver  the  Chinese 
nation  from  the  Tartar  yoke.  They  are  well  received  by  the 
population,  and  obtain  without  difficulty  large  contributions  in 
support  of  their  cause.  But  the  most  remarkable  circumstance 
attending  their  progress  is,  that  neither  they  nor  their  chiefs  are 
idolaters.  Wherever  they  appear,  they  destroy  the  bonzes,  the 
joss-houses,  and  the  idols,  and  the  latter  are  seen  floating  in 
broken  fragments  down  the  rivers, — Buddhas  of  twenty  feet  and 
more,  floundering  about  in  the  water, — idols  esteemed  only  as 
blocks  of  wood,  to  be  hacked,  and  hewed,  and  broken  in  pieces. 

Sew-tseuen  has  hitherto  been  victorious.  He  has  taken  Nankin 
and  many  other  cities,  and  is  master  of  the  great  canal  by  which 
grain  is  conveyed  to  Pekin.  He  has  summoned  the  mandarins 
to  receive  him  as  their  legitimate  sovereign,  descending  in  the 
ninth  generation  from  the  last  prince  of  the  Ming  or  native 
Chinese  dynasty.  His  policy  seems  to  be  to  make  war  upon  the 
Tartar  authorities,  but  to  protect  the  people;  and  among  so 
methodical  and  ingenious  a  nation  as  the  Chinese,  it  is  evident 
that  the  state  of  disorder  described  will  be  but  of  short  duration. 

'^  Be  the  government  of  China  what  it  may,  it  cannot  be  worse 
than  that  whish  seems  likely  to  be  now  overthrown.     The  Mant. 


ACCOUNT    OF    SEW-TSEUEN.  369 


choo  dynasty  Las  sho^vn  itself  ready,  wlienever  it  dared,  to  perset 
cute  the  Christian  religion,  to  restrict  the  trade  of  the  empire, 
and  to  evade  its  engagements  with  foreign  nations.  But  the  dis- 
position which  has  of  late  years  been  manifested  by  the  Chinese 
themselves  to  adopt  a  purer  faith,  to  extend  their  commerce,  and 
even  to  emigrate  to  Australia,  California,  and  the  Mauritius, 
shows  that  the  oppressive  policy  of  the  government  is  by  no 
means  the  same  with  the  views  and  interests  of  the  people." 

It  seems  that  the  chief,  Sew-tseuen,  has  been  the  enlightenei 
of  his  followers  in  religious  matters,  even  more  than  their  leader 
in  war,  and  he  has  given  a  history  of  his  own  acquaintance  with 
the  scriptural  truths  which  he  now  publishes  under  an  imperial 
seal,  in  some  Chinese  tracts  which  have  been  carefully  read  by 
Dr.  Legge,  at  Hong-kong,  who  has  communicated  the  information 
to  the  Bible  and  Missionary  Societies  in  London. 

Sew-tseuen  was  one  of  the  literary  candidates  who  received 
from  Leang-a  fah  and  his  companions,  in  1834,  '' Scripture 
Lessons,  or  Good  AYords  to  admonish  the  Age."  This  was  the 
first  thing  that  aroused  his  mind.  In  1837,  after  receiving  the 
truths  taught  in  the  tract,  lie  svffered  from  some  disease,  during 
which  he  thought  he  was  taken  up  to  heaven,  and  records  that 
"  Ms  soul'saw"  many  things  which  confirmed  the  new  doctrines 
with  which  his  mind  had  been  occupied.  Probably,  in  the 
delirium  of  fever,  he  confounded  the  ideal  with  the  real,  and 
hence  may  have  arisen  the  visions  with  which  he  is  supposed  to 
have  been  favoured.  It  is  a  fact  that  a  kind  of  divine  origin  or 
mission  is  ascribed  to  him,  whether  actually,  or  merely  in  the 
language  of  "  the  flowery  land,"  is  not  ascertained.  His  other 
name,  "  Tae- ping-wan g,"  signifies  "  the  prince  of  peace."  He 
forbids,  by  an  edict,  any  application  to  himself  of  the  words 
S2q)reme  or  holi/,  hitherto  assumed  by  the  emperors  of  ORina, 
which  he  declines  on  the  ground  that  they  are  due  to  God  alone. 

In  1844,  he  composed  various  works;  and  in  1846,  resided  in 
Canton,  with  Mr.  Boberts,  an  American  missionary,  seeking  for 
further  instruction.  Some  obscurity  rests  over  his  subsequent 
course;  but  there  some  followed  the  organization  of  the  rebellion, 


S70  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY 


some  few  years  of  fighting  in  the  west,  and  then  a  triumphant 
progress  from  strength  to  strength,  till  Nankin  fell  before  him  on 
the  19th  of  March. 

Such  is  the  history  of  the  rebel  chief.  Now,  what  are  the 
truths  his  followers  have  been  taught  to  believe? 

They  announce  a  belief  in  one  only,  the  living  and  true  God; 
this  they  hold  firmly,  and  with  the  earnestness  of  a  nation  newly 
awakened  from  idolatry.  They  base  their  belief  of  it  on  the 
teaching  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  on  the  most  ancient  books 
and  practice  of  China; — for  their  own  books  testify  that  the 
most  ancient  Chinese  must  have  known  the  true  God;  while 
th'iy  also  admit,  that,  so  early  as  the  twenty-sixth  century  before 
Caiv^t,  the  ^'impish  devil  drew  men  into  his  toils,  and  taught 
them  io  worship  other  and  evil  spirits." 

In  a  letter  from  Shanghai,  it  is  said  that  the  rebels  will  not 
tolerate  idolatry,  either  Catholic  or  Pagan.  Shortly  after  they 
obtained  Nankin,  the  Roman  Catholics  were,  on  Good  Friday, 
performing  their  usual  services  in  one  of  their  chapels.  The  in- 
surgents inquired,  '^What  is  all  this  about?"  They  replied, 
^^We  are  worshipping  the  Lord  of  heaven."  "Whose  images, 
then,  are  these  upon  the  wall?"  It  was  answered,  "The  images 
of  Christ  and  the  Virgin  Mary."  They  were  then  instantly  de- 
stroyed. These  deeds  of  summary  determination  seem  necessary, 
in  order  to  strike  at  the  root  of  that  vast  system  of  idolatry 
which  has  hitherto  ruled  in  China.  We  are  told  of  an  immense 
temple,  in  which  500  heathen  priests  were  officiating  at  once. 
They  were  all  in  a  standing  posture,  making  their  vain  repetitions, 
"Ometo  feh!  ometo  feh!"  This  is  customary  three  times  a  day. 
In  the  centre  of  this  temple  stood  three  enormous  idols,  and  all 
around  were  multitudes  of  other  idols  of  various  sizes,  enshrined 
in  ^reat  magnificence  and  costly  splendour. 

With  the  idols,  much  other  heathenish  nonsense  has  been 
Kwept  away, — all  the  distinction  of  days  into  lucky  and  unlucky 
with  which  the  Chinese  almanacs  have  hitherto  been  filled. 
"These,"  say  the  rebe's,  "were  artful  devices  of  the  devil.  We 
^ave  now  expunged  t  .em  all.     Years,  months,  and  days  succeed 


THE   RELIGIOUS    MOVEMENT   IN    CHINA.  371 


one  anotlier  according  to  the  appointment  of  our  lieavenlj'  Father. 
They  are  all  lucky — all  good.  Let  a  man  reverence,  with  a  true 
heart,  the  great  God,  and  he  may  hope  for  success  in  his  under- 
takings, whensoever  commenced.'^ 

The  sincerity  of  their  belief  in  one  God  has  led  those  rebels 
to  understand  that  all  men,  as  the  children  of  God,  are  brethren. 
They  speak  of  the  world  as  a  whole,  and  say,  "  It  is  one  family." 
^'  There  are  many  men  under  heaven,  but  all  are  brothers  :  there 
are  many  women  under  heaven,  but  all  are  sisters.  Why  should 
we  indulge  the  wish  to  devour  and  consume  one  another?" 

This  is  the  noble  idea  that  will  break  down  the  great  wall  of 
China, — 1500  miles  long,  and  2000  years  old,* — which  is  said 
to  contain  material  sufficient  to  rear  all  the  dwelling-houses  in 
England,  Wales,  and  Scotland,  and  whose  very  towers  would 
erect  a  city  as  large  as  London. 

"One  family," — "all  brethren," — these  are  new  words  for 
the  Chinese  to  use,  who  have  hitherto  called  all  nations,  "the 
outside  barbarians  V  All  hail  to  our  new  brothers !  who,  in 
themselves,  form  one-third  of  the  great  family.  And  what  gift 
shall  we  send  them  as  a  token  of  our  acknowledgment  of  the 
relationship  ? — a  million  copies  of  the  New  Testament  of  our 
Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ ! 

They  are  deeply  in  want  of  this  precious  gift.  They  do  not 
seem  at  present  to  possess  it.  They  have  made  three  rules  for 
their  army,  when  encamped :  1st,  "  You  must  reverently  honour 
the  orders  of  heaven ;  2d,  You  must  thoroughly  learn  the  Ten 
Commandments,  the  Doxology,  the  forms  for  morning  and  evening 
worship,  and  for  saying  grace ;  3d,  You  must  not  smoke  opium 
or  drink  wine."  They  appear  to  possess,  for  they  have  them- 
selves reprinted,  the  first  twenty-seven  chapters  of  Genesis,  ac- 
3ording  to  the  version  of  the  late  Dr.  Gutzlaff.  Perhaps,  also, 
they  have  the  whole  of  the  Pentateuch;  but  "there  is  nothing  in 
their  books  about  the  cross."  They  have  not  yet  studied  the  life 
ef  Jesus,  or  the  Acts  and  Epistles  of  the  apostles.     They  must 

*  See  "  Tb«  Chinese  j  a  Book  of  the  "Day,"  by  the  Rev.  T.  Phillipf. 


372  THE    BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


be  enliglitened  by  the  wliole  word  of  God ;  and  let  the  British 
and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  in  this  its  Jubilee  Year,  hasten  to 
present  them  with  the  New  Testament,  to  disperse  the  errors 
which  at  present  mingle  with  truth  in  their  belief  and  practice, 
and  to  show  unto  them  "  the  more  excellent  way."  They  have 
not  renounced  polygamy;  they  still  make  offerings  of  animals, 
tea,  rice,  etc.,  to  God ;  and  they  have  faith  in  present  visions  and 
revelations.  ^'  Means  must  be  taken, '^  say  the  missionaries,  "  at 
whatever  personal  risk,  to  put  them  in  possession  of  the  entire 
Scriptures." 

Let  us  do  this  hy  families :  let  every  family,  rich  and  poor, 
throughout  Great  Britain,  resolve  to  give  to  China  the  sum  of  so 
many  Testaments,  at  4(?.  each.  Some  young  collector  would  be 
found  in  every  household.  Were  this  plan  adopted,  as  it  already 
has  been  in  many  districts,  the  million  required  would  soon  pour 
in  :  and  '^ what  is  that  among  so  many?" — one  million  of  Testa- 
ments to  360  millions  of  people  !  They  will,  however,  soon  re- 
print them  for  themselves,  as,  by  their  simple  method  of  printing, 
they  are  enabled,  without  screw,  lever,  wheel,  or  wedge,  to  throw 
off  3000  impressions  of  any  page  in  a  day. 

The  whole  apparatus  of  a  printer  in  China  consists  of  his  gra- 
yers,  blocks,  and  brushes.  These  he  may  shoulder  and  travel 
with,  from  place  to  place,  purchasing  paper  and  lamp-black  as  he 
needs  them ;  and,  borrowing  a  table  any  where,  print  editions  by 
the  hundred  or  the  score,  as  he  may  be  able  to  dispose  of  them. 

There  are  generals  in  the  rebel  army — men  of  Kwantung  and 
Kwang-se — who,  it  would  seem,  are  deeply  influenced  by  the 
belief  that  God  is  always  with  them. 

''  The  hardships  they  have  suffered,  and  the  dangers  they  have 
incurred,  are,  as  they  assert,  punishments  and  trials  of  their  hea- 
venly Father,  and  the  successes  they  have  achieved  are  instances 
of  his  grace.  With  the  glistening  eyes  of  gratitude  they  point 
back  to  the  fact,  that,  at  the  beginning  of  their  enterprise ,  some 
four  years  ago,  they  numbered  only  100  or  200,  and  that,  except 
for  the  direct  help  of  their  heavenly  Father,  they  never  could 
have  done  V7hat  they  have  done.     'It  is  said/  they  continue^  Hljat 


THE    GREAT    MISSIONARY.  873 


we  use  D.agical  artsj  hut  the  only  magic  we  have  used  is  prayer 
to  God.  When  our  numbers  reached  from  2000  to  3000,  and  we 
were  yet  beset  on  all  bands  by  greater  numbers — when  we  had 
no  powder  left,  and  our  provisions  were  all  gone — our  heavenly 
Father  showed  us  the  way  to  escape.  So  we  put  our  wives  and 
children  in  the  midst,  and  not  only  forced  a  passage,  but  com- 
pletely beat  our  enemies.  If  it  be  the  will  of  God  that  our  prince 
of  peace  shall  be  the  sovereign  of  China,  he  will  be  the  sovereign 
of  China  ;  if  not,  then  we  will  die  here.' 

"  The  man  who  used  this  language  of  courageous  fidelity  to  the 
cause  in  every  extreme,  and  of  confidence  in  God,  was  a  shrivel- 
led-up,  elderly,  little  person,  who  made  an  odd  figure  in  his  yellow- 
and-red  hood ;  but  he  could  think  the  thoughts  and  speak  the 
speech  of  a  hero." 

Dr.  Legge  thinks  that  the  rebels  cannot  have  had  much,  if 
they  have  had  any,  teaching  from  Protestant  missionaries.  These, 
however,  have  been  at  work  in  China,  though  few  in  number,  at 
the  free  ports. 

The  Chinese  Ke/pository  recently  stated,  that  only  150  mission- 
aries have  laboured  in  China  since  the  arrival  of  Dr.  Morrison  in 
1807,  of  whom  seventy-three  are  now  in  the  field,  twenty-nine 
have  died,  and  forty-eight  have  returned  in  ill-health  or  discouraged 
at  the  difficulties  of  her  peculiar  language.  Of  those  who  remain, 
twenty-three  are  Englishmen,  forty-four  Americans,  and  six  Ger- 
mans— only  seventy-three  Protestant  missionaries  for  360,000,000 
of  people  ! — eleven  at  Hong-kong ;  ten  at  Amoy )  twelve  at  Fun- 
chau;  seventeen  at  Ningpo,  including  Miss  Aldersey,  a  Christian 
English  lady,  who  has  devoted  herself  to  the  education  of  native 
females;  and  twenty-three  at  Shanghai; — no  more.  Yet  this 
handful  of  men  may  have  done  much  to  send  up  the  country  "  the 
Missionary  they  found  in  China,^'  conversant  with  its  language, 
and  diligently  engaged  in  instructing^'  the  heathen.  Let  us  hear 
what  Mr.  Abeel,  an  American  missionary,  one  of  those  who  had 
been  in  China,  said  of  this  Missionary  at  the  thirtieth  anniversary 
of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  : 

"This    Missionar},"   said    Mr.  Abeel,   ''had   made   repeated 

32 


374  THE    BOOK   AND   ITS   STORY 


voyages  along  the  coast  of  China,  from  island  to  island,  and  from  pro* 
vince  to  province,  and  the  ships  which  bore  him  thither  had  oftea 
left  him  alone  ;  and  what  did  he  do  ?  Alone  and  unaided,  he 
entered  town,  hamlet,  and  village,  and  found  that  almost  every 
one  among  these  civilized  heathens  understood  him.  He  pene- 
trated up  to  the  capital,  and  it  is  said  that  he  even  entered  the 
palace.  This  Missionary  afterward  did  me  the  honour  to  accom- 
pany me,  and  such  another  companion  I  never  expect  to  find. 
Where  I  could  not  go,  he  went;  and  what  I  could  not  do  he  did. 
He  laboured  successfully  among  the  millions  who  had  no  teacher, 
and  he  instructed  for  weeks  together  even  one  of  the  principal 
priests  of  the  empire,  chaplain  of  the  emperor.  This  Missionary, 
with  all  his  powers,  became  my  servant,  I  sent  him  on  board  some 
junks  that  were  returning  to  Ciiina,  and  there  he  sat,  day  by  day, 
teaching  the  mariners,  and  reading  with  them  •  and  at  the  end 
of  their  voyage  he  again  went  forth,  as  he  had  done  before. 

"  Are  you  desirous  to  know  who  this  Missionary  is  ?  I  will 
first  tell  you  who  he  is  not.  He  is  not  a  Churchman ;  he  is  not 
a  Dissenter;  he  is  not  a  Calvinist,  nor  an  Arminian;  he  is  neither 
an  Englishman  nor  an  American;  he  appears  to  hate  all  sects, 
many  of  the  most  prominent  of  which  I  never  heard  him  deign  to 
mention.  This  Missionary  is  The  Bihle,  the  only  Missionary 
upon  whom  myself  and  my  fellow-labourers  depend  for  the  con- 
version of  the  world.  He  is  gone  forth  into  China,  and  into  all 
the  vast  kingdoms  and  islands  of  the  East.  I  had  the  honour  at 
some  of  the  outposts  to  visit  the  junks  carrying  on  the  China  trade, 
and  to  supply  fifty  of  these  junks  with  that  Missionary;  and  so 
by  one  means  or  another  he  will  traverse  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  empire." 

He  has  done  so  for  twenty  years  since  then  !  China  has 
eighteen  provinces,  and  embraces  a  space  of  five  millions  and  a 
half  of  square  miles,  with  -o.  population  so  dense,  that  they  are 
obliged  to  cultivate  all  but  their  most  sterile  lands  for  food,  to 
live  in  junks  upon  their  rivers,  and  even  to  terrace  their  moun- 
tains for  agricultuYe,  and  grow  water-lilies  upon  all  their  lakes, 
uf  which  they  eat  the  seeds  and  roots.     Its  population  are  edu' 


DESTITUTION    OF   INDIA   AND    CHINA.  37.1 


cated;  and  they  can  furnisli  books  to  each  other  for  a  mere 
trifle.  The  works  of  Confucius,  written  on  400  leaves,  can  be 
purchased  for  ninepence.  Every  peasant  and  pedlar  has  the 
common  depositories  of  knowledge  within  his  reach.  Throughout 
the  empire  they  can  read  the  same  character,  even  although 
they  speak  difierent  dialects ;  therefore,  when  the  pure  morality 
of  the  gospel,  with  all  the  stupendous  facts  of  Scripture  history 
shall  be  once  fully  brought  before  the  minds  of  this  intelligent 
race,  '^a  nation  may  be  born  at  once"  into  an  inheritance  of 
all  the  privileges  of  the  gospel.  Isa.  Ixvi.  8. 

Those  who  are  familiar  with  the  most  interesting  journals  of 
the  Bishop  of  Victoria,  of  Dr.  Medhurst,  and  of  Dr.  Grutzlaff,  will 
readily  call  to  mind  the  times  in  which  the  good  seed  loas  soion,  in 
many  an  hour  of  depression — by  Dr.  Morrison,  the  first  translator 
of  the  Chinese  Scriptures  in  this  century,  as  he  made  use  of  grant 
after  grant  from  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  and  felt 
and  said  it  was  ''but  a  drop  in  the  ocean," — by  his  indefatigable 
SOD  and  successors,  often  amid  privation  and  persecution,  still  re- 
vising and  re-revising  the  first  translation  of  the  Book  of  Grod,  and 
dispensing  it  to  many  a  glad  and  grateful  heart.  The  Bible  So- 
ciety has  always  afforded,  every  facility  to  the  labours  of  these  ex- 
cellent missionaries,  and  China  was  one  of  the  especial  fields  in 
which,  at  the  commencement  of  this  year,  it  intended  to  sow  more 
diligently  the  seed  of  the  word,  and  the  fruits  of  the  Jubilee;  but 
if  this  field  is  about  to  be  thus  extended,  it  will  make  an  irresisti- 
ble appeal  to  England  and  America,  for  efibrts  on  a  nobler  scale 
than  any  of  which  they  have  hitherto  even  dreamed. 

India  and  China,  alone,  present  to  the  eye  of  the  Christian  the 
destitute  population  of  half  a  world.  We  have  been  honoured  to 
create  the  hunger  for  the  bread  and  the  thirst  for  the  water  of 
life,  and  now  we  must  supply  it,  and  teach  them  how  to  supply 
themselves. 

Their  present  destitution,  and  their  willingness  to  receive  the 
Scriptures,  are  great  facts,  and  the  English  mind  always  bends  to 
the  power  of  facts,  and  acts  upon  them,  preferring  to  draw  its  own 
inferences.     Thf  Bible  S'^iety  has  never  wanted  funds,  since  thrt 


576  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


first  liour  of  its  existence^  to  carry  out  its  necessary  designs,  and 
we  believe  it  never  will.  It  cannot  accomplish  the  work  that 
now  opens  before  it  on  its  present  free  income  of  about  jifty 
thousand  pounds.  And  what  ought  to  be  its  Jubilee  offering^ 
At  the  moment  when  this  is  written,  it  has  only  reached  thirty- 
four  thousand  pounds.  It  has  not  yet  received  the  willing  offer- 
ings* of  all  Britain's  merchant  princes, — '^casting  in  of  their 
abundance," — knowing,  as  they  do,  that  it  is  their  Bible  that  makes 
them  what  they  are  among  the  nations  of  the  earth, — sitting  in 
peaceful  sovereignty,  while  others  are  convulsed  with  revolutions  ! 

A  quarter  of  a  million  of  money  is  said  to  have  been  expended 
upon  the  dress  of  one  image  of  the  Virgin  Mary  in  the  city  of 
Rome  !  Roman  Catholicism  has  sent  forth  her  earnest  teachers 
of  tradition,  who  are  afraid  to  print  the  Bible,  and  she  has  "con- 
verts by  millions,  in  China."  In  1830,  their  mission  cost  the 
sum  of  40,000Z.  Mohammedanism  (not  by  fire  and  sword,  but  by 
the  milder  arts  of  proselytism)  has,  in  China,  shamed  the  puny 
efforts  of  those  who  send  forth  the  more  holy  book.  We  may, 
indeed,  almost  wonder  at  our  Protestant  successes. 

In  1835,  Mr.  George  Borrow,  superintended  the  printing  of  a 
version  of  the  New  Testament  in  Mantchoo,  a  dialect  much  used 
in  the  north  of  China.  Dr.  Morrison,  when  he  heard  of  this 
translation,  remarked,  ''how  wonderfully  unconnected  labours 
were  now  brought  to  bear  upon  each  other,  and  blend  in  their 
effects  ;  and  he  trusted  that  the  Mantchoo  Bible  would  be  of  great 
use  in  the  northern  dominions  of  the  Cliinese  empire." 

The  missionaries  among  the  Buriat  Mongols,  also,  af\er  ten 
years  of  labour,  completed  a  translation  of  the  Scriptures  into 
Mongolian;  and  Mr.  Stallybrass  says:  ''When  we  regard  China 
as  about  to  be  opened  for  the  reception  of  the  glorious  gospel, 
this  version  rises  much  in  importance.  It  is  intelligible  to  all 
those  who  inhabit  the  vast  tract  of  country  between  Siberia  and 
the  Chinese  wall,  as  well  as  to  many  of  the  Chinese  themselves." 
Mr.  Knill  adds,  concerning  this  version,  "  Our  Siberian  mission 
is  as  near  to  China  as  Wales  is  to  England,  the  same  idolatry 
being  practised  on  both  sides  of  the  frontier.     Some  of  the  young 


THE    BIBLE   AMONG    THE    MONGOLS.  377 


natives  engaged  in  tliis  translation  used  to  come  to  Mr.  Stally- 
brass,  almo?.::  every  evening,  with  their  New  Testaments  in  their 
hands,  asking  him  to  explain  certain  passages,  and  they  had  (like 
our  own  good  King  Alfred)  little  text-books,  which  they  carried  in 
their  bosoms,  in  which  they  have  written  passages  which  have 
particularly  struck  them.*  It  is  delightful  to  mark  how  a  beam 
of  sacred  pleasure  lights  up  their  features,  when  some  new"  view 
of  Divine  truth  breaks  upon  them, — some  fresh  point  from  which 
they  can  contemplate  the  love  of  the  Saviour.  Last  Sabbath,  at 
our  usual  Mongolian  service,  I  requested  one  of  them  to  read  the 
third  chapter  of  John's  Gospel.  When  he  came  to  the  words, 
*  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that 
whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting 
life,'  his  voice  faltered,  and  with  difficulty  he  read  a  little  farther; 
but  when  he  came  to  the  words,  '  Thi  is  the  condemnation,  that 
light  is  come  into  the  world,  but  men  loved  darkness  rather  than 
light,  because  their  deeds  were  evil,'  his  feelings  completely  over- 
came him,  and  his  voice  was  drowned  with  sobs  and  tears.  I 
finished  the  chapter/'  iadds  Mr.  Knill,  "and  preached  to  the 
people." 

This  translation  was  completed  in  1841.  "We  wait,"  say  the 
Parent  committee,  "only  for  the  opened  door;  for  we  grieve  to 
say  that  the  mission  has,  by  authority,  been  broken  up.  The  Old 
Testament  has  been  printed,  the  New  revised,  the  sanction  of  the 
committee  is  given  for  printing  3000  copies;  but  when  the  work 
will  be  undertaken  still  remains  to  be  seen.  The  faithful  convert 
Shagdur  continues  active  in  the  distribution  of  portions  of  the 
Mongolian  Scriptures.  In  1840,  Shagdur  went  out  to  distribute 
copies  of  the  Scriptures  in  the  districts  immediately  bordering  on 
the  Chinese  frontier.  In  a  few  daj^s,  the  whole  of  his  stock  was 
disposed  of.  He  says  he  felt  like  a  man  who  had  gone  out  with 
a  bushel  of  seed-corn  to  sow  a  field  of  ten  acres.  The  Mongolian 
Scriptures  find  their  way  to  many  who  understand  the  language 
in  the  Chinese  empire,  and  we  have  been  repeatedly  told  that  the 


*  See  page  121. 
32* 


878  THE    BOOK   AND   IT$    STORY. 


hoohs  are  well  understood,  are  much  sought  after,  and  we  hope  not 
read  in  vain."^ 

In  1848,  the  committee,  at  the  earnest  recommendation  of  Dr. 
Barth  of  Grermany,  granted  the  sum  of  100^.  to  Dr.  Grutzlaff,  for 
the  Chinese  Union,  composed  of  converted  natives,  a  considerable 
number  of  whom  traverse  the  interior  parts  of  China,  introducing 
tlie  word  of  God  into  those  portions  of  the  country  to  which  no 
missionary  had  access. 

*'Wong-shao-yet,  the  colporteur,  lately  went  to  Hangchau. 
The  people  are  very  willing  there,  as  at  other  places,  to  hear  and 
receive  the  word  of  God.  He  has  the  utmost  facility  in  circu- 
lating single  portions  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  It  is  evident  that 
there  is  a  wide  and  inviting  field  for  Christian  labour  in  China ; 
and,  though  restrictions  exist  as  to  the  admission  of  foreigners, 
native  assistants  can  freely  distribute  to  the  countless  multitude 
the  words  of  life.  There  is  positively  nothing  in  the  way  of  the 
unlimited  employment  of  such  agency ;  and  we  are  fully  per- 
suaded that  by  this  means,  in  a  great  measure,  China  is  to  be 
evangelized  and  converted  to  God.  The  gratifying  reports  of  this 
colporteur  are  confirmed  by  the  personal  observation  of  the 
missionaries.'^ 

The  Report  for  1849,  page  132,  also  contains  the  names  of  the 
places  where  these  portions  of  Scripture  have  been  circulated; 
and  among  them  are  found  the  very  districts  or  provinces  of 
Kwang-tung,  and  Keang-se,  named  as  the  native  places  of  the 
leaders  in  the  present  movement. 

The  Report  for  1850  says,  "Dr.  Gutzlafi"  received  from  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  two  additional  grants  of  100?. 
each,  for  the  distribution  of  Chinese  Testaments,  and  also  200 
2opies  of  the  Buriat,  Mongol,  and  Mantchoo  Scriptures.'' 

In  1852,  the  committee  at  Shanghai  were  encouraged  by  the 
Parent  committee  to  print  a  small  edition  of  portions  of  the  New 
Testament  in  Mantchoo  and  Chinese,  in  parallel  columns;  and 
fov  this  purpose  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society's  fount  of 

*  Thirty-sixth  Report,  page  11. 


ISLANDS   OF  JAPAN.  879 


Mantchoo  type  has  been  forwarded  to  China,  Dr.  Medhurst  having 
written,  ''  We  think  that  Scriptures  printed  in  this  form  would 
be  useful,  as  there  are  many  Chinese  and  Tarta.rs  partially  ac- 
quainted with  both  languages,  who  would  be  very  glad  to  obtain 
books  printed  in  this  manner,  when  otherwise  they  might  not  give 
attention  to  them.'"* 

With  these  types  were  also  forwarded  200  more  copies  of  the 
Mantchoo  New  Testament,  with  100  Bibles  and  200  Testaments 
in  Mongolian, 

These,  then,  are  some  of  the  avenues  by  which  the  word  of 
God  has  entered  China.  Perhaps  some  day  the  treasure  may  be 
returned  with  interest  to  the  Buriat  Mongols  when  there  shall  be 
a  Chinese  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  and  when  China  has  learned 
to  evangelize,  not  to  exterminate,  the  Tartars. 

JAPAN. 

It  does  not  appear  that  there  is  yet  any  Bible  for  the  islands 
of  Japan,  which  contain  a  population,  it  is  said,  of  nearly  fifty 
millions  of  inhabitants.  Japan  is  a  dark  and  unknown  world. 
Jesuit  missionaries  from  Portugal  settled  there  in  the  sixteenth 
century,  and  induced  great  numbers  of  Japanese  to  embrace  their 
form  of  Christianity  ]  but  these  having  offended  the  government, 
a  persecution  was  commenced  against  them  to  the  death.  This 
happened  in  the  seventeenth  century;  and  ever  since  then,  the 
penalty  of  death  has  been  denounced  against  all  who  refused  to 
prove  that  they  were  not  Christians,  by  trampling  on  a  picture  of 
the  ^^ Virgin  and  Child;"  and  all  foreigners  were  banished  from 
the  empire,  except  a  few  Dutch  merchants,  who  are  still  confined 
to  an  island  in  the  harbour  of  Nagasaki. 

As  they  will,  therefore,  hold  no  intercourse  with  other  nations, 
it  is  impossible  to  translate  the  Bible  for  them.  The  Bible  So- 
ciety has  desired  to  do  so,  from  the  year  1816.  In  the  Report 
for  1817,  will  be  found  a  very  interesting  letter  from  the  Rev.  J. 
Supper  of  Batavia,  on  this  subject.  This  gentleman  had  made 
inquiries  of  persons  who  had  formerly  resided  in  Japan,  and  who 
declaro  ^^  that  the  people  have  no  books ;  that  the  ofiicerf  of 


380  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


government  pay  frequent  Tisits  to  every  house,  and  if  they  dis' 
cover  even  a  small  piece  of  paper  which  relates  to  the  Christian 
worship,  but  particularly  to  the  cross  of  Christ,  thQ  dwelling  in 
which  such  a  paper  is  found  is  immediately  razed  and  destroyed, 
and  the  inhabitants  condemned  to  death/' 

In  November,  1831,  a  coasting-junk  of  about  200  tons  burden, 
bound  to  Yedo,  the  capital  of  Japan,  with  a  cargo  consisting  partly 
of  rice  and  partly  of  tribute  to  the  emperor,  was  driven  by  a 
storm  into  the  Pacific  Ocean.  The  crew,  entirely  ignorant  of 
their  course,  let  the  vessel  drift  wherever  the  winds  and  waves 
would  carry  her,  and,  after  being  tossed  about  for  fourteen  months, 
were  cast  on  shore  near  the  Columbia  River.  During  this  long 
period  they  had  subsisted  chiefly  on  rice  and  fish.  Eleven  had 
died  of  scurvy,  and  the  remaining  three  were  nearly  helpless 
when  they  landed.  The  Indians  of  that  region  plundered  them 
of  every  thing,  and  kept  them  captive  for  several  months. 

At  last  their  history  became  known  to  a  benevolent  factor  of 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  who  sent  them  to  England.  In 
London,  many  persons  took  an  interest  in  their  welfare,  and  they 
were  thence  sent  to  China,  and  committed  to  the  care  of  the 
superintendent  of  the  British  trade,  with  the  hope  that  they 
might  at  last  reach  home.  They  arrived  at  Macao  in  1835,  and 
resided  with  Dr.  Gutzlaff,  who  regarded  it  as  a  good  opportunity 
to  acquire  some  knowledge  of  their  language.  That  admirable 
missionary  made  use  of  the  power  thus  attained  to  prepare  a 
translation  of  the  Gospel  of  John,  in  Japanese,  in  which  he 
availed  himself  of  the  aid  of  the  natives.  These  three  wanderers, 
named  Twakitchi  or  Lucky  Bock,  Kinkitchi  or  Lasting  Happi- 
ness, and  Otokitchi  or  Happy  Sound,  with  four  other  shipwrecked 
Japanese,  were  taken  back  to  Japan,  accompanied  by  Dr.  Gutzlaff, 
in  the  ship  '^  Morrison,"  but  the  vessel  was  fired  upon,  and  they 
were  not  allowed  any  communication  with  the  shore. 

In  1849,  Dr.  Gutzlaff  being  in  this  country,  the  Bible  Society 
presented  him  with  40/.  toward  the  printing  of  portions  of  the 
New  Testament  in  Japanese,  being,  as  he  termed  it,  a  pioneer 
translation, — a  version  that  must  still  be  tested.     It  dons  not  ap- 


LOOCHOO    ISLANDS.  381 


pear  that  any  opportunity  has  yet  offered  for  its  circulation ;  but 
should  China  be  evangelized,  we  may  hope,  that,  from  its  shores, 
the  gospel  would  spread  to  Japan.  The  Chinese  characters  were 
formerly  used  in  writing  Japanese,  and  the  written  language  now 
consists  of  modified  and  contracted  Chinese  characters.*  The 
two  languages  are,  however,  different  in  their  structure  and  their 
idiom. 

THE   LOOCHOO    ISLANDS. 

These  islands  are  thirty-six  in  number,  lying  300  miles  south 
of  Japan,  and  500  miles  east  of  China.  The  largest  of  them  has 
been  for  seven  years  the  seat  of  a  mission  of  the  Church  Mission- 
ary Society,  the  origin  and  history  of  which  are  extremely  inte- 
resting. Lieutenant  Clifford,  a  naval  of&cer,  visited  this  island  in 
1816,  on  the  occasion  of  Lord  Amherst's  embassy  to  China.  Being 
himself,  then,  as  he  states,  in  '' unbelief,  he  lost  the  oj)porfunify 
of  making  known  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,"  but  when  he  after- 
ward felt  the  power  of  Divine  truth,  he  remembered  earnestly  the 
condition  of  those  poor  islanders,  and  for  fifteen  years  sought  the 
means  of  sending  to  them  the  good  tidings  of  the  gospel. 

At  last,  in  1845,  there  was  established  the  Loochoo  Naval  Mis- 
sion. The  missionary  appointed  was  Dr.  Bettelheim,  a  learned 
Jew,  but  also  a  devoted  Christian  ]  he  was  master,  already,  of  ten 
languages,  and  in  nine  months  acquired  the  Loochooan.  He  has 
since  endured  every  variety  of  difficulty  and  privation  imposed 
upon  him  by  the  government,  (which  is  all  bi\t  Japanese  in  its  re- 
strictions,) during  the  work  of  compiling  a  grammar  and  diction- 
ary of  the  language,  and  the  translation  of  the  two  Gospels  of 
Luke  and  John,  the  book  of  the  Acts,  and  the  Epistle  to  the 
Romans. 

The  philanthropic  support  of  the  English  Government,  and  the 
sympathizing  visit  of  the  Bishop  of  Victoria,  have  helped  to  sus- 
tain him,  in  his  most  difficult  position,  of  which  he,  with  his 
heroic  wife,  feels  all  the  importance,  and  of  which  he  thus  writes: 


rricharil'd  "  Researches." 


382  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS   STORY. 


"  We  stand  Kere  on  the  threshold  of  Japan,  cheered  bj  the  one 
hope  of  diffusing  the  gospel  in  Loochoo ;  and  through  Loochoo  to 
Japan, — the  last  kingdom  that  stands  out  in  proud  enmity  to  the 
Saviour,  teeming  with  millions  of  human  beings,  who  are  liars, 
gamblers,  lazy-bodies,  full  of  deceit  and  ignorance  beyond  belief. 
Brethren,  I  entreat  you,  in  the  name  of  an  all-merciful  Saviour, 
to  pity  Japan  !  Nothing  has  as  yet  been  done  for  it,  and  it  re- 
quires speedy  aid." 

We  have  little  room  for  further  details  of  the  sufferings  of  this 
missionary,  or  the  martyrdom  of  one  of  his  converts,  by  confine- 
ment in  constrained  postures,  by  slow  starvation,  by  beating  on 
the  head,  by  squeezing  of  the  feet,  performed,  too,  by  his  own 
father  and  mother !  "  The  dark  places  of  the  earth  are  full  of 
cruelty,"  but  the  name  of  Jesus  supports  the  true  believer  under 
every  trial,  as  it  has  done  poor  Satchi-hama,  even  unto  death ;  and 
his  history,  with  that  of  his  teacher,  may  be  one  of  those  which 
shall  arouse  Christendom  to  perform  its  duty  toward  Japan  and 
toward  Loochoo. 

The  importance  of  the  Loochooan  translation  of  the  Scriptures 
will  be  seen  from  the  declaration  of  the  Bishop  of  Victoria,  that 
the  Loochooan  is  a  mere  dialect  of  the  Japanese  language,  with 
many  Chinese  terms  engrafted  upon  it.  Dr.  Bettelheim  states, 
that  the  labours  of  the  brethren  who  have  translated  the  word  of 
God  into  Chinese,  are  often  of  very  great  assistance  to  him.  He 
has  preached  to,  and  made  himself  understood  by,  Japanese 
sailors  visiting  the  island ;  while,  in  his  own  words,  "  the  gold  of 
California,  and  the  Atlantic  pouring  through  the  Darien  canal 
into  the  Pacific,  will  cause  an  immense  European  and  American 
trade,  via  Loochoo  and  Japan,  with  China,  which  makes  these 
islands  of  great  importance.* 

The  journal  of  Dr.  B.  must  stir  every  Christian  heart  to  sympa- 
thy. He  is  lodged  by  the  Loochooan  government  in  an  idol 
temple;  they  insist  on  finding  his  food,  which  is  often  ucwhole- 


♦  For  further  information  concerning  the  Loochoo  Mission,  see  its  7tl   Rft^ 
port. 


AUSTRALIA.  883 


some  and  insufficient ;  and  they  surround  his  house  with  guards^ 
which  they  continually  change,  lest  he  should  convert  them.  Hg 
has,  however,  many  secret  converts,  of  whom  Satchi-hama  waa 
one.  When  the  people  are  permitted  to  listen  to  his  teaching, 
and  to  read  the  word  of  God,  which  he  is  preparing  for  them, 
"the  truth  shall  prevail" — even  in  Loochoo. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Jubilee  Keview  continued — Circulation  of  the  Bible  in  Australia,  Borneo,  Tahiti, 
Rarotonga,  Mangaia,  New  Zealand,  and  South  Africa — The  Bible  among 
Mohammedans,  in  Roman  Catholic  Countries,  in  Austria,  in  Spain  and  Portu- 
gal, in  Switzerland  and  Italy,  and  in  France. 

AUSTRALIA. 

Australia  is  one  of  the  fields  of  labour  especially  contemplated 
by  the  society  in  this  its  Jubilee  Year.  The  Auxiliary  Society 
at  Sydney  was  first  established  in  the  year  1817,  and  is  stated 
never  to  have  been  in  more  flourishing  circumstances  than  at  the 
present  time.  The  sales  of  Bibles  and  Testaments  during  the 
past  year  had  increased  threefold.  The  following  account  of  its 
anniversary  meeting  has  just  been  received :  "  The  interest 
throughout  was  well  sustained ;  and  the  brilliant  address  of  the 
Rev.  John  Beorly  told  upon  the  audience  with  electric  power. 
The  instant  effect  was  a  check  for  1101.,  handed  to  him  on  the 
platform,  to  aid  the  funds  of  the  auxiliary ;  and  during  the  even- 
ing the  intense  interest  which  had  been  excited  was  so  well  sus- 
tained by  the  Rev.  W.  Gill,  and  th.e  other  speakers,  as  to  induce 
the  grand  result  of  400?.  toward  the  maintenance  of  colporteurs, 
etc.  We  have  never  had  such  a  meeting  !  Dr.  Ross's  large  church 
was  crowded,  and  every  one  seemed  greatly  pleased  and  interested." 

The  society  at  Adelaide  reports  that  the  immigrants  to  this  ladd 
of  gold  are  in  general  well  supplied  with  the  Bible,  principally 


884  THE    BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


owing  to  the  efforts  of  the  Bible  Society  at  home,  and  the  parting 
gifts  of  friends.  There  are  auxiliary  societies,  also,  in  compara' 
tively  active  operation  at  Melbourne,  Geelong,  Hobart  Town, 
Launceston,  and  other  places.  By  the  instrumentality  of  these 
auxiliaries,  upward  of  20,000  copies  of  the  Scriptures  were  put 
in  circulation  last  year,  while  considerable  amounts  have  been  sent 
by  them  for  the  general  objects  of  the  society. 

MALAYSIA — BORNEO. 

Borneo  and  its  Dajack  population  are  receiving  from  the  British 
and  Foreign  Bible  Society  the  Dajack  New  Testament.  The  Rev. 
A.  Hardeland  says:  "The  first  edition  is  almost  exhausted,  and 
so  would  some  few  thousand  copies  more  be,  if  we  had  them. 
When,  some  thirteen  years  back,  we,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord 
God,  first  planted  the  banner  of  the  cross  in  this  place,  not  one 
single  Dajack  was  able  to  read,  and  for  several  years  no  one 
evinced  the  least  desire  to  learn  :  their  food  was  the  most  disgust- 
ing reptiles;  and  their  only  relief  from  abject  idleness  was  the 
excitement  of  hideous  devil-festivals,  and  a  greedy  desire  to  pos- 
sess human  sJcuIIs.  Oh,  how  swift  were  the  feet  of  the  idle  Da- 
jacks  to  shed  blood  I  But  now  many  hundreds  have  learned  to 
read  fluently,  and  are  provided  with  New  Testaments.  There  are 
three  mission-stations,  besides  Pulopetak,  and  at  least  1000 
scholars;  and  the  desire  after  books  is  very  great.  We  are 
obliged  to  refuse  many  applications ;  the  books  are  well  taken  care 
of  and  diligently  perused  :  usually  the  receiver  makes  a  wooden 
box  to  contain  his  treasure,  and  in  this  box  it  accompanies  him 
wherever  he  goes.  Whenever  they  paddle  abroad  in  their  and 
(a  trunk  of  a  tree  hollowed  out)  on  the  broad  rivers,  the  little 
box  is  seldom  absent,  and  has  besides  a  covering  of  leaves ;  and 
if  the  arut  is  overturned  amid  the  waves,  by  a  gust  of  wind,  the 
occupant  seizes  upon  his  little  box,  swims  with  it  to  the  shore, 
and  jumps  for  joy  when  he  finds  the  book  is  uninjured." 

Whoever  has  read  of  the  Dajacks  of  Borneo,  and  has  imagined 
the  large  houses  in  which  they  reside,  by  hundreds  together, 
whose  ornaments  are  human  heads  dangling  from  the  ceiling,  will 


POLYNESIA — TAHITI.  385 


rejjice  to  hear  that  in  such  buildings  multitudes  now  sometimes 
listen  to  the  Scripture-reader,  or  some  native  Dajack,  who  reads 
aloud  and  in  a  recitative  tone  of  voice,  which  is  their  habit.  By 
this  means  the  women  hear  the  word  of  God  :  thry  have  not  yet 
come  either  to  school  or  to  church,  but  they  are  now  accessible  to 
instruction  in  their  own  houses.  When  passing,  in  the  evening, 
the  banks  of  the  rivers  where  the  villages  are  built,  one  hears  in 
all  directions  the  voice  of  the  reader  resounding  to  the  opposite 
bank.  The  Bible  will  soon  conquer  the  mania  for  human  skulls, 
which  these  savages  have  been  accustomed  to  string  round  their 
waists  when  dancing,  putting  food  in  their  mouths,  and  the  betel- 
nut  between  their  ghastly  lips. 

POLYNESIA — TAHITI. 

The  volcanic  and  coral  islands  of  Polynesia  have  a  history  of 
their  own,  so  interesting,  that  we  dare  not  enter  upon  it  in  detail, 
though  it  richly  deserves  to  be  explored. 

Missionary  enterprise  began  in  Tahiti,  in  1796.  For  a  period 
of  sixteen  years  there  was  no  apparent  fruit  of  devoted  labour, 
and  the  island  remained  sunk  in  cruel  idolatry.  Then  came  the 
change.  Two  servants  had  united  for  prayer,  and  these  in  the 
absence  of  the  missionaries  multiplied  into  a  body  of  praying 
people.  From  that  time  success  has  followed,  so  that  populous 
islands  to  the  distance  of  2000  miles  in  circuit  from  Tahiti,  in 
the  bosom  of  the  Pacific,  have  been  brought  under  the  influence 
of  Divine  truth.  In  1820,  openings  of  the  most  promising  kind 
presented  themselves  for  the  distribution  of  the  word  of  God. 
We  have  already  contemplated  Mr.  Williams  at  work  on  his 
translation  of  the  Scriptures.  In  1820,  an  edition  of  3000  copies 
of  Luke's  Gospel  was  printed  in  Tahitian ;  10,000  copies  of  the 
book  of  the  Acts  and  the  other  Gospels  followed  :  those  who  were 
taught  in  the  schools  instructed,  in  the  cool  evenings,  the  more 
ignorant.  In  1824,  a  further  edition  circulated  in  various  islands; 
and  all  this  while,  and  up  to  1830,  the  New  Testament  constituted 
their  entire  library, 

33 


886  THE   BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


In  1838,  the  Old  Testame  it  was  completed  and  printed  under 
the  superintendence  of  the  Rev.  H.  Nott,  who  had  landed  on  the 
island  forty  years  before,  as  a  missionary,  from  the  "  Duff/'  These 
books  were  eagerly  purchased,  at  two  dollars  each ;  and  those  who 
had  no  money,  hurried  away  to  sea  with  their  nets,  hoping  that  the 
proceeds  of  their  fishing  would  enable  them  to  buy  a  copy. 

In  1839,  the  martyr-blood  of  the  missionary  Williams  stained 
the  soil  of  Erromanga,  where  he  had  intended  to  plant  the  stand- 
ard of  the  cross.  Then  came  the  French  protectorate  and  its 
Roman  Catholic  power  to  disturb  the  religious  peace  of  the  islands, 
and  to  test  the  influence  of  the  large  circulation  of  the  word  of 
God,  which  had  taken  place  among  them.  Still,  in  1841,  the 
London  missionaries  write  :  "  It  is  most  delightful  to  see  the  in- 
superable thirst  of  this  people  for  the  Bible.  They  refuse  to  take 
their  necessary  food,  if  denied  the  Book,  while  those  who  obtain 
it  will  leap,  kiss  it  for  joy,  press  it  to  their  hearts,  and  say,  '  Now, 
my  eyes  will  close  at  night:  now,  I  will  try  to  get  one  for  my 
son.'  " 

When  the  war  broke  out  in  1844,  owing  to  the  French  aggres- 
sion, and  the  people  were  obliged  to  take  to  the  mountains,  many 
of  them  at  first  carried  their  Bibles  to  the  missionaries  and  said, 
*'  Keep  these  in  safety,  until  we  have  beaten  our  foes,  and  then 
we  will  ask  for  them  again."  But  some  time  afterward  they 
returned,  saying,  "  We  are  likely  to  be  long  absent  from  our 
dwellings;  give  us  our  Bibles  again,  for  we  want  them  in  the 
mountains;"  and  though  every  effort  has  been  used  to  seduce 
them  from  the  simplicity  of  their  faith,  their  Bibles  have  caused 
them  to  stand  firm,  and  we  hear  of  no  perverts. 

At  the  present  time,  the  Parent  Society  is  importuned  to  print 
10,000  copies  of  the  New  Testament  for  the  youth  in  the  schools. 
It  appears  to  be  the  design  of  the  French  local  government  to 
force  the  missionaries  from  the  island,  that  popery  may  renew  its 
efforts  with  redoubled  energy,  IMr,  Howe  writes  in  the  Report 
of  1853,  "  They  have  managed  at  last  to  close  our  mouths  in 
public  in  the  native  tongue.  The  first  link  of  the  popish  chain 
has  been  riveted  on  the  Tahitian  nation,  and  ere  long  it  will  bo 


TAIiiTI   AND   THE   PAPISTS.  387 


made  to  feel  the  whole  weight  of  that  chain."  The  eutire  facts 
of  the  case  are,  however,  a  powerful  argument  in  favour  of  the 
free  circulation  of  the  word  of  God.  The  Romish  priests  have 
now  been  in  Tahiti  between  thirteen  and  fourteen  years,  and  not 
one  convert  has  been  fairly  made  to  their  system. 

Some  time  since,  several  Christian  natives  of  Tahiti  called  on 
one  of  the  missionaries,  and  related  to  him  a  conversation  they 
had  just  had  with  the  Roman  Catholic  priest.  They  said  he  had 
shown  them  a  large  tree,  with  root,  trunk,  branches,  and  twigs, 
and  explained  to  them  the  meaning  of  it.  At  the  root  was  a 
lamb,  and  that,  said  the  priest,  meant  the  Saviour,  the  Lamb  of 
God;  and  the  tree,  he  said,  represented  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church ;  at  the  bottom  of  the  trunk,  next  above  the  root,  was 
Peter,  the  first  Bishop  of  Rome,  next  to  Jesus  Christ. 

"Yes!"  said  the  Tahitians;  "we  have  read  about  Peter,  we 
have  got  two  letters  of  his,  which  we  read  in  our  Testament :  that 
was  the  man  who  denied  his  Master ;  but  the  Saviour  looked  on 
him,  and  that  look  melted  his  heart,  and  the  Saviour  forgave  him. 
But  who  are  all  these,'^  said  they,  "  rising  upon  the  trunk  of  the 
tree,  above  Peter  ?" 

"  Ah  !"  said  the  priest,  "  they  are  the  popes,  the  successors  of 
Peter." 

"  Ah  !  we  don't  know  about  them,"  said  the  natives ;  "  but, 
never  mind,  iceve  got  the  root !  Now  what  are  the  straight  branches 
that  go  off  from  the  trunk  ?" 

"  They  are  the  different  orders  of  men  in  the  church,"  said  the 
priest;  "  monks  and  friars,  and  so  forth." 

"  We  don't  know  them  either,"  said  the  people ;  "  but  go  on  ; 
we've  got  the  root,  so  we  can  do  without  them.  But,  pray  what 
are  these  twigs  dropping  off  at  the  end  of  the  branches  ?" 

"  Ah  !  they  are  the  heretics,  falling  quick  into  the  flames  below." 

"Indeed!"  said  the  Tahitians;   "  then  whereabouts  are  ?ce  .^" 

"Ah!"  said  the  priest,  "you  are  there,"  pointing  up  to  one 
corner;  "  there's  Luther,  a  decayed  twig;  he  is  dropping  off,  you 
see,  into  the  flames ;  and  that's  where  he  is,  and  where  you  and 
your  missionaries  will  all  go,  for  you  are  heretics." 


388  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


"  Ah,  well !"  said  the  astonished  Tahitians,  ''  such  is  the  pic- 
ture, and  such  is  the  meaning  you  give  us ;  but,  however,  we've 
got  the  root,  and  so  we  think  we  cannot  be  very  far  wrong,  and 
we  mean  to  keep  to  that.'' 

^'I  am  the  \me,"  said  the  Saviour,  "ye  are  the  branches: 
abide  in  me.  He  that  abideth  in  me,  and  I  in  him,  the  same 
bringeth  forth  much  fruit,  K  a  man  abide  not  in  me,  he  is  cast 
forth  as  a  branch  and  is  withered."  John  xv. 

RAROTONGA. 

In  1852,  it  was  mentioned  that  5000  copies  of  the  whole  Bible, 
in  the  Rarotongan  language,  had  been  sent  off  by  the  missionary 
ship,  the  '^  John  Williams."  The  missionary  who  had  superin- 
tended its  passage  through  the  press,  in  England,  the  Rev.  A, 
Buzacott,  returned  with  it.  The  account  of  his  voyage  and  of 
his  reception  has  lately  been  made  public.     He  says, — 

"  I  cannot  welll  describe  the  reception  we  met  with,  when  we 
arrived  at  oux  beloved  island  home.  As  soon  as  we  approached 
the  shore,  a  simultaneous  rush  was  made  for  the  boat.  The  crew 
jumped  out,  and  we  soon  found  ourselves,  boat  and  all,  upon  the 
shoulders  of  the  people.  Eight  of  us  were  thus  borne  away 
toward  our  house,  where  they  put  us  down.  They  crowded 
round  us, — the  men  shouting  for  joy,  and  the  women  weeping 
for  the  same  cause.  They  were  very  anxious  to  get  possession 
of  the  Bibles.  On  the  appointed  day,  the  case  being  opened 
which  contained  them,  we  offered  prayer  and  thanksgiving,  and 
gave  them  a  short  account  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  So- 
ciety. The  chiefs  were  each  of  them  presented  with-  a  copy  in 
superior  binding,  then  those  who  had  deposited  pui'chase-mouey 
received  theirs.  All  were  soon  gone.  To  the  students  in  the 
college,  the  arrival  is  invaluable,  as  they  never  had  the  complete 
Scriptures  in  their  hands  before." 

MANGAIA. 

The  Rev.  Gr.  Gill  says :  "  We  have  received  here  1340  copies, 
which  had  been  long  expected.     Tliose  who  had  paid  for  them 


MANGATA.  389 


beforehand  said,  '  Perhaps  Barakoti*  is  dead ;  the  society  cannot 
finish  it,  and  oui-  hopes  wiU  be  disappointed.  But  when  the 
vessel  hove  in  sight,  their  joy  was  unbounded.  They  dragged 
with  delight  the  heavy  packages  over  the  reef  of  coral,']-  for  they 
knew  that  the  Bibles  had  come.  It  is  their  custom,  when  en- 
gaged in  drawing  or  carrying  heavy  burdens,  to  encourage  one 
another  by  the  voice  of  song.  As  they  brought  the  case  into 
the  mission-house,  they  sang  in  their  own  language — 

"  'The  word  has  oome!     One  volume  complete  ! 
Let  us  learn  the  good  word  !     Our  joy  is  great ! 
The  whole  word  has  come;  the  whole  word  has  come  !' 

"  The  day  the  Bibles  were  distributed,  we  received  10/.  for 
them,  and  before  the  week's  end,  40/. 

"At  our  usual  missionary  prayer-meeting,  an  old  man,  whose 
remarks  ofter  cheer  my  own  spirit,  arose  and  addressed  us  from 
Job  V.  16—19.  He  said,  '  I  have  often  spoken  to  you  from  a  text 
out  of  other  parts  of  the  Bible  which  we  had,  but  this  is  the  first 
time  we  have  seen  the  book  of  Job.  It  is  a  new  book  to  us. 
When  I  received  my  Bible/  continued  he,  '  I  never  slept  until  I 
had  finished  this  new  book  of  Job.  I  read  it  all.  Oh  !  what  joy 
I  felt  in  reading  his  wonderful  life  !  Let  us  all  read  the  whole 
book.  Let  us  go  to  the  missionary  by  day  and  by  night,  and  in- 
quire into  the  meaning  of  the  new  parts  which  we  have  not  read. 
Let  us  be  at  his  door  when  he  rises.  Let  us  stop  him  when  we 
meet  him,  that  he  may  tell  us  of  these  new  books.'  And  lifting 
up  his  new  Bible  before  the  congregation,  with  the  excited  energy 
of  a  feeble  old  man,  he  said,  '  My  brethren  and  sisters,  this  is 
my  resolve :  the  dust  shall  ^ever  cover  my  new  Bible ;  the  moths 
shall  never  eat  it ;  the  mildew  shall  not  rot  it ;  my  light !  my 

joy!'" 

*  Mr.  Buzacott. 

f  Mr.  Williams  beautifully  describes  this  reef  in  his  "  Missionary  Enter- 
prises," p.  24.  It  is  a  barrier  which  belts  the  island  against  the  long,  rolling 
waves  of  the  Pacific,  within  which  the  waters  flow,  clear  and  transparent,  over 

corals  of  every  form  and  hue. 

.S3* 


890  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


One  more  extract,  and  we  must  leave  these  lovely  coral  isles. 
The  Rev.  A.  W.  Murray,  from  Samoa,  one  of  the  Navigator's 
Isles,  writes:  ^' The  diifusion  of  Scripture  light,  always  im- 
portant, is  especially  so  at  the  present  time,  when  the  powers  of 
darkness  are  pursuing  with  such  restless  and  wide-spread  activity 
their  efforts  to  perpetuate  their  dreary  reign.  The  Romish  bishop 
of  Oceanica,  as  he  is  styled,  has  lately  taken  up  his  abode  in 
Samoa,  and  intends,  it  is  reported,  fixing  his  head-quarters  here 
for  the  future.  The  papists  have  not  as  yet  made  much  progress 
in  Samoa,  nor  throughout  Polynesia,  and  it  is  probable  they  will 
not  make  very  much.  We  have  got  the  start  of  them  :  the 
ground  is  pre-occupied  by  an  element  more  than  all  othere  de- 
structive to  popery — light,  light  from  heaven  V 

From  the  Fee-jee  islands,  which  are  wholly  occupied  by  the 
Wesleyan  missionaries,  the  reports  are  similar.  A  grant  of  5000 
New  Testaments  in  the  Fee-jee  language  has  been  made  to  them; 
and  the  sacred  Scriptures  are  declared  to  be  highly  prized,  while 
popery  is  there  likewise  seeking  to  pervert  the  poor  heathen  to 
its  own  superstitions.  It  tries  to  persuade  them  that  they  cannot 
understand  the  word  of  God  when  they  read  it.  But  they  do 
understand  it,  and  prize  it  ''above  rubies.'* 

NEW   ZEALAND. 

The  missionaries  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society  are  pursu- 
ing the  same  work  of  evangelization  among  the  leafy  glens  and 
mountains,  the  lovely  lakes  and  rocky  islets  of  New  Zealand, 
where  for  thirty-four  years  they  have  perseveringly  laboured  and 
translated  the  Scriptures  :  they  have  there  315  native  catechists 
and  teachers.  The  Wesleyan  missionaries  have  also  laboured 
with  great  diligence  and  considerable  success  in  this  distant  field. 
The  New  Zealander,  even  in  his  ignorance  and  dirt,  used  to  be 
called  "  the  prince  of  savages '/'  but  now  that  he  has  been  civi- 
lized by  Christianity,  his  race  will  probably  become  the  most 
powerful,  as  it  is  the  most  enterprising,  of  all  of  the  aboriginal 
tribes  of  the  South  Seas.  In  1852,  15,000  copies  of  the  New 
Testament  in  the  Maori  language  were  prepared  by  the  British 


SOUTH  AFRICA.  891 


And  Foreign  Bible  Society  for  these  natives,  who  call  tlie  book  of 
Psalms,  ^^the  David."  Even  the  jet  wild  tribes  among  them 
had  respect  to  the  Scriptures  as  the  '■''  word  of  God/'  while  they 
tore  up  the  "Encyclopedia  Britannica'^  for  cartridge-paper  during 
the  last  war.  In  New  Zealand,  also,  the  Roman  Catholic  priests 
are  equal  in  number  to  the  Protestant  missionaries;  but  the 
Bible  among  the  people  proves  to  be  their  constant  hinderance. 
When  they  urge  upon  the  New  Zealander  the  elevation  of  the 
host,  the  belief  in  purgatory,  the  adoration  of  the  Virgin,  or  the 
duty  of  confession  to  the  priest,  his  simple  answer  is,  "I  do  not 
find  it  in  my  Book."  Altogether  96,220  portions  of  the  word 
of  Grod  have  been  diffused  among  a  population  of  150,000  na- 
tives, among  whom  cannibalism  has  now  ceased. 

To  complete  our  survey  of  the  heathen,  we  must  turn  again  to — 

SOUTH   AFRICA. 

In  1821,  the  South  African  Auxiliary  Bible  Society  was 
formed;  and,  through  Dr.  Philip,  supplies  of  the  Scriptures 
were  continually  made  to  the  different  missionary  stations.  In 
1801,  not  a  Hottentot  throughout  the  Cape  Colony  would  have 
been  found  able  to  read ;  but  now  readers  are  found  and  Bibles 
are  desired  in  every  village.  In  1846,  Mr.  Bourne,  one  of  the 
valuable  agents  of  the  society,  visited  the  colony,  with  a  supply 
of  20,000  copies  of  Dutch  and  English  Scriptures.  His  travels 
in  Africa  extended  to  more  than  3000  miles,  and  to  many  who 
were  destitute  of  the  Scriptures,  grants  were  liberally  made. 
The  Bible  is  especially  needed  among  colonists,  who,  from  their 
scattered  position,  have  no  means  of  attending  the  public  worship 
of  God,  for  months  together.  Since  the  return  of  Mr.  Bourne, 
20,000  more  copies  have  been  forwarded,  though  the  loug  and 
disastrous  Caffre  war  has  thrown  great  impediments  in  the  way 
of  their  distribution. 

The  Bechuanas,  whose  number  is  calculated  at  something  like 
30,000  people,  are  spread  over  a  large  portion  of  Southern  and 
Central  Africa.  In  this  region  the  Be  v.  Robert  Moffat  has  la- 
boured since  1817  :  his  version  of  the  New  Testament  was  pub 


392  THE    BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


lished  by  tlie  society  in  1841.  It  was  received  by  the  natives 
with  eager  gratitude :  the  Old  Testament  is  gradually  completing. 
Mr.  Moffat,  in  the  midst  of  his  work,  writes  to  congratulate  the 
Bible  Society  on  its  perseverance  in  "  its  noble  enterprise  of  giv- 
ing the  Book  of  books — God's  Book  of  life — to  a  sick  and  dying 
world '/'  and  he  says,  after  thirty-six  years  of  missionary  expe- 
rience, "How  little,  how  insiynijicant,  are  all  other  enterprises  coiiv- 
pared  with  this  /"  He  speaks  of  the  Bible  as  "  garnishing  dens 
and  caves  of  the  earth  with  heavenly  delights,  even  unto  this 
day"  ;  and  he  adds  that  "  the  Bechuana  translation  of  the  Old 
Testament  would  progress  at  less  tortoise  speed,  but  for  the  claims 
of  other  kinds  of  missionary  labour,  besides  translation." 

And  now,  let  us  see  what  allusions  are  made  in  the  Report  of 
1853,  as  to  the  progress  of  the  Bible  among  the  Mohammedans. 

MOHAMMEDANS. 

In  1853,  from  Karass,  in  Tartary,  Mr.  Galloway,  a  Scottish  mis- 
sionary, writes:  "  The  Mohammedans  are  peculiarly  prejudiced 
against  the  gospel  of  the  grace  of  God ;  yet  it  is  encouraging  to 
see,  that  the  more  they  come  in  contact  with  the  word  of  truth, 
the  more  their  prejudices  are  weakened.  We  cannot  speak  of 
many  conversions  among  them,  but  they  can  now  hear  the  Bible 
read  or  quoted  with  some  degree  of  patience.  They  do  not  throw 
the  Book  out  of  their  hands  as  they  once  did,  or  cut  out  passages 
obnoxious  to  them,  or  burn  it,  as  they  used  to  do." 

In  the  year  1844,  from  Penang,  the  Bev.  T.  Beighton  writes : 
"  I  never  saw  such  a  spirit  of  inquiry  excited  among  the  Moham- 
medans as  at  present.  When  the  truth  of  our  Lord's  Divinity  is 
established  among  them,  their  delusion  will  receive  a  heavy  blow. 
Now  that  the  word  of  God  has  been  extensively  made  known  in 
countries  where  Mohammedans  are  mixed  with  the  population,  and 
its  sound  is  still  going  forth,  they  are  often  led  calmly  to  compare 
the  lies  of  their  prophet  with  the  truth  of  the  gospel,  and  to  strike 
the  balance  in  favour  of  the  Divine  Scriptures. 

"  The  population  of  Constantinople  and  its  environs  is  estimated 
at  a  million  at  least ;  the  proportions  are  considered  to  be  correctly 


MOHAMMEDANS — AUSTRIA.  393 


given  as  follows :  Turks,  520,000 ;  Greeks,  200,000 ;  Armenians, 
180,000;  Jews,  70,000;  Europeans,  30,000.  Among  them  a 
goodly  number  of  missionaries  are  labouring  diligently  and  faith- 
fully,— eight  from  the  American  board,  and  six  from  England  and 
Scotland.  These  servants  of  our  common  Lord  are  working  toge- 
ther for  the  glory  of  Grod  and  the  advancement  of  the  kingdom 
of  Christ  in  the  world,  ^esteeming  each  other  in  love.'  They  all 
distribute  the  Scriptures  by  the  aid  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society,  and  have  all  adopted  more  or  less  the  system  of 
colportage.  They  speak  of  an  increased  and  increasing  call  for 
the  word  of  God." 

It  would  be  easy  to  multiply  individual  instances  of  renuncia- 
tion of  the  Mohammedan  faith  :  but  we  have  no  space  for  them. 
The  friends  of  the  Bible  may  rejoice  in  its  silent  and  gradual  in- 
fluence over  followers  of  the  false  prophet,  and  pass  on  with  us  to 
the  reconsideration  of  our  third  division, — the  work  which  our 
Scriptures  are  performing  among  the  Koraan  and  Greek  Churches 
of  the  world. 

AUSTRIA. 

There  is  no  doubt  that,  in  this  country,  the  wide  distribution 
of  the  word  of  God  has  excited  a  great  reaction, — a  reaction  of 
hostility,  especially  in  the  countries  rulod  by  despotic  power. 
Despotism  and  popery  clasp  hands  and  work  together,  and  one  is 
able  to  stir  up  the  other  to  shut  out  the  Bible  from  its  temtories, 
even  in  the  midst  of  this  nineteenth  century.  ''  Light  is  come 
into  the  world ;  but  men  love  darkness  rather  than  light,  because 
their  deeds  are  evil;"  and  hence  such  scenes  as  are  alluded  to  in 
the  Report  for  1853,  in  the  countries  of  Austria  and  Hungary, 
when  the  government,  demanding  to  have  all  the  Scriptures  in 
the  depots  at  Giins,  Pesth,  and  Vienna,  sent  out  of  the  country ^ 
the  decree  was  rigorously  enforced.  Two  hundred  and  four  bales 
and  125  cases,  containing  58,087  copies  of  Bibles  and  Testaments 
either  bound  or  in  sheets,  were  conveyed  beyond  the  frontiers  of 
the  Austrian  territory,  under  the  charge  of  a  detachment  of  gena 
d'armes.     This  took  place  amid  the  unavailing  tears  and  sight 


894  THE   BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


of  tens  of  thousands  of  the  people,  waiting  for  and  anxious  to 
possess  the  precious  volumes  of  which  they  were  so  mercilessly 
bereft. 

In  1852,  it  was  thus  recorded  of  these  countries:  '^ Multitudes 
are  now  in  possession  of  the  Scriptures,  who,  only  a  short  time 
since,  scarcely  knew  that  God  had  spoken  in  times  past  unto  the 
fathers  by  the  prophets,  and  in  these  last  days  unto  us  by  his 
Son."  In  some  parts  the  desire  for  the  word  is  described  as  a 
*^rage/'  and  a  '^famishing;"  and  the  priests  of  Rome,  becoming 
aware  of  this,  denounced  the  Books  from  the  pulpit.  The  govern- 
ment then  insisted  that  they  should  be  withdrawn  from  the  country. 

Mr.  Millard,  the  agent  of  the  society,  now  writes :  "  We  have 
at  last  left  that  fruitful  and  promising  field  of  labour,  glad 
enough,  as  far  as  our  persons  are  concerned,  to  get  out  of  the 
clutches  of  our  foes ;  but  it  is  distressing  to  think  of  the  state 
of  the  people  we  have  left  behind.  What  has  been  done  is  but 
a  sprinkling,  which  has  but  served  to  inform  or  remind  the 
people  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  Hiving  waJter;'  and  had 
not  the  arm  of  force  interfered,  and  been  tolerated  by  a  Pro- 
vidence whose  ways  are  past  finding  out,  the  circulation  of  the 
Scriptures  would  have  increased  far  beyond  our  provision  for 
it.  Whenever  my  thoughts  return  to  that  wretched  country,  I  can- 
not help  again  and  again  thanking  Grod  for  what  has  been  effected 
before  the  interdict,  and  looking  back  with  gratitude  on  the  number 
of  41,659  volumes  distributed  since  the  1st  of  October,  1850  '' 

SPAIN   AND    PORTUGAL. 

Spain  and  Portugal,  we  regret  to  state,  are  completely  barred 
against  the  Bible.  A  concordat  has  been  concluded  betwen  the 
courts  of  Spain  and  Rome ;  the  power  of  the  priesthood  is  para- 
mount; every  book  introduced  into  the  schools  must  receive  their 
approval,  and  they  do  not  approve  of  the  free  use  of  the  Bible. 
In  1828,  1829,  and  1830,  there  was  some  circulation  of  the  Scrip- 
tures.    Messrs.  Courtofij  bankers  of  Toulouse,*  introduced  them 

*  Where,  in  1229,  the  BibU  was  prohibited.     See  page  133. 


SPAIN    AND   PORTUGAL.  395 


into  those  countries  by  means  of  soldiers  and  pedlars  passing 
through  Toulouse.  In  1835,  when  the  cholera  drove  many  of  the 
higher  classes  of  Spaniards  to  Toulouse  and  the  towns  of  the  south 
of  France,  these  same  Christian  friends  introduced  the  Bible, 
wherever  possible,  to  their  notice  :  and  in  1836,  by  colporteurs 
in  the  Pyrenees,  and  by  visits  to  Spanish  prisoners,  they  persevered 
in  their  efforts.  Two  other  friends  who  visited  Madrid  were  fa- 
voured with  some  measure  of  influence  and  success;  so  that,  in 
1837,  at  Barcelona,  1600  Spanish  Testaments  were  sold ;  and  in 
one  instance  the  simple  perusal  of  the  Scriptures  was  the  means 
of  imparting  the  knowledge  of  salvation.  In  1838,  notwithstand- 
ing all  the  confusion  and  misery  that  reigned  in  the  country,  the 
Holy  Scriptures  gained  a  silent  entrance,  and  were  openly  bought 
and  sold  in  several  of  the  principal  towns.     Between  5000  and 

6000  copies  were  disposed  of.     From  B- ,  the  gentleman  to 

whom  the  society  intrusted  the  work  thus  wrote  :  "  The  expres- 
sions of  gratitude  for  the  Books  are  innumerable.  It  is  said, 
^The  words  and  the  history  of  the  crucified  Saviour  and  of  his 
followers  are  most  interesting  to  us.  We  were  altogether  ignorant 
of  such  a  Book,  and  it  delights  us.'  The  higher  orders  kept  aloof, 
and  but  few  came  for  a  copy;  but  workmen, — masons,  shoemakers, 
carpenters,  tailors, — streamed  almost  in  a  continued  file  to  pur- 
chase the  good  Book.'' 

From  V ,  he  writes:  '^In  six  days  I  sold  here  400  copies. 

How  often  do  I  wish  I  had  wings,  that  I  might  be  able  to  avail 
myself  of  the  extraordinary  disposition  of  the  people  to  purchase 
the  blessed  Book !'' 

In  an  ancient  Moorish  city,  the  same  gentleman  disposed  of 
369  copies :  many  were  sold  to  the  priests.  As  he  walked  along 
the  streets  of  the  towns  where  the  Bible  had  been  thus  distributed, 
he  could  perceive  shopkeepers  and  others  reading  their  copies. 
Sometimes  he  entered  into  conversation  with  them,  which  ended 
in  tears  rolling  down  their  cheeks. 

Another  ardent  and  enterprising  friend  of  the  society,  having 
carried  through  the  press  at  Madrid  an  edition  of  5000  copies  of 
the  New  Testament,   spent  five  months  of  the  year  1838  iji 


396  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


travelling  through  the  provinces,  to  bring  the  Books  into  circula- 
tion. He  then  returned  to  Madrid,  and  opened  a  room  for  the 
sale  of  the  Scriptures,  which,  after  a  short  time,  was  closed  by 
the  authorities.  While  it  remained  open,  many  were  sold.  He 
also  printed  at  Madrid  a  translation  of  the  Gospel  of  Luke,  in  the 
Gitano  or  Gipsy  language,  for  the  benefit  of  this  interesting, 
singular,  but  degraded  race  of  people,  who  are  very  numerous  in 
some  parts  of  Spain. 

In  1839,  the  door  seems  to  have  closed,  and  this  unhappy 
country  has  added  to  its  other  calamities,  and  its  responsibility, 
the  almost  total  suppression  of  the  efforts  to  circulate  within  its 
borders  the  precious  word  of  God;  not,  however,  before  16,000 
copies  of  the  Scriptures  had  been  scattered  through  its  plains  and 
valleys,  during  a  space  of  five  years. 

SWITZERLAND    AND    NORTH    ITALY. 

In  1845,  Lieutenant  Graydon,  who  had  rendered  such  essential 
service  in  Spain,  continued  his  labours  in  Switzerland.  His 
baggage-van  was  fitted  up  after  his  own  model,  and  so  conveniently 
arranged  that  he  could  with  ease  turn  it  into  a  regular  book-stall. 
He  presented  himself  at  large  fairs  and  markets,  and  extraordi- 
nary success  attended  his  operations.  At  Berne,  in  four  days, 
he  sold  1200  copies;  at  Lausanne,  1667  copies:  25,694  copies 
were  purchased  in  the  course  of  three  years,  and  very  many  of 
them  by  Roman  Catholics.  They  were  dispersed  in  five  lan- 
guages, and  4000  of  them  were  sold  in  the  Hotel  Gibbon, 
which  is  built  on  the  very  ground  so  often  paced  by  the  cele- 
brated author  of  the  ''Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Em- 
pire,"— one  who  used  his  great  talents  to  undermine  the  faith 
of  thousands  in  the  truth  of  revelation,  and  sought  to  trace  to 
Christianity,  as  a  source,  every  evil  that  has  dis6gured  the  world 
since  its  introduction. 

In  1849,  after  visiting  his  depots  in  Switzerland,  Lieutenant 
Graydon  passed  to  Milan  and  Turin  at  the  time  of  the  revolution 
there.  It  was  with  difficulty  he  could  secure  a  corner  in  the 
newspaper  for  the  announcement  of  his  peaceful  mission,     Th^ 


NORTH   ITALY — FRANCE.  397 


authorities^  however^  did  not  interfere,  and  the  people  received 
him  with  courtesy.  The  result  of  the  two  visits  he  paid  to  the 
north  of  Italy  was  the  sale  of  12,000  copies. 

In  Tuscany,  when  the  archduke  was  restored,  in  1849,  and 
the  Church  of  Rome  resumed  its  former  ascendency,  one  of  the 
earliest  acts  of  the  government  was  to  seize  and  lock  up  the  edition 
of  Martini's  Testament,  just  issued  at  Florence,  stop  the  presses, 
carry  off  the  type  and  paper,  subject  the  printers  to  a  civil  process, 
and  banish  Captain  Pakenham,  who  had  superintended  the  work, 
at  a  few  days'  notice.  From  the  time  that  the  pope  returned  from 
his  exile,  every  impediment  has  been  thrown  in  the  way  of  the 
Bible  Society  in  Lombardy,  Tuscany,  and  the  Papal  States.  The 
imprisonment  of  the  Madiai  and  many  others,  the  search  for  the 
Scriptures  in  private  houses,  the  forcible  attempt  to  check  the 
expression  of  opinion,  and  the  mandates  of  excommunication 
against  those  who  shall  enter  a  Protestant  place  of  worship,  or 
abet  a  society  in  circulating  the  Scriptures,  all  indicate  that  Home 
is  her  old  self.  The  Book  condemns  her,  and  she  tries  to  hide  it. 
We  cannot  but  rejoice  in  the  fact  that  more  than  87,000  copies 
have  been  distributed  in  various  ways,  even  in  Italy,  and  that  the 
desire  for  the  sacred  volume  is  increasing  continually. 

FRANCE. 

Of  France,  so  much  has  been  said  in  former  chapters,  that  but 
little  remains  to  be  added.  The  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society  looks  upon  her  with  the  deepest  interest,  places  her 
always  first  in  its  Reports,  and  watches  with  increasing  anxiety 
over  her  zealous  band  of  colporteurs. 

On  the  table  of  the  committee-room  in  Earl-street,  now  stands 
a  vase  of  artificial  flowers,  composed  of  small  coloured  beads. 
You  would  be  si  rprised  to  hear  of  such  an  ornament  in  such  a 
place;  but  that  vase  has  a  history.  It  is  a  Jubilee  token  from 
France,  and  has  very  recently  arrived.  The  donors,  who  wish 
to  remain  unknown,  are  French  soldiers,  belonging  to  various 
regiments  which  succes^ively  have  formed  the  garrison  of  a  certain 
town.     This  "bouquet  of  gratitude,"  as  it  is  called,  has  been 

34 


898  THE   BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


prepared,  during  many  evenings  of  several  winters,  by  skilful 
hands,  in  successive  regiments,  wliile  listening  to  the  read- 
ing of  the  Scriptures  and  religious  books;  and  when  finished, 
the  makers  were  very  desirous  of  presenting  it  as  an  oflFering 
to  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  in  token  of  their 
lively  gratitude  for  its  having  placed  within  their  reach  the  word 
of  Grod,  to  which  they  have  had  grace  given  them  to  surrendei 
their  hearts. 

The  society's  agent.  Monsieur  de  P.,  has  issued  from  the 
depot  in  Paris,  from  April,  1833,  to  January,  1853,  no  fewer  than 
2,271,709  copies  of  the  Scriptures !  This  is  the  work  of  twenty 
years. 

The  whole  issues  since  the  depot  was  established  are  3,002,359 
copies,  more  than  three-fourths  of  which  have  been  placed  in  the 
hands  of  Roman  Catholics;  and  a  million  and  a  half  of  these  have 
been  circulated  by  colporteurs.  The  prayers  of  the  Huguenots 
are  in  a  great  measure  answered.  There  is  not  a  single  depart- 
ment in  France,  (and,  indeed,  very  few  of  the  parishes  in  those 
departments,)  which  has  not  been  visited  by  these  humble  and 
devoted  agents.  The  remotest  comers  of  her  country  districts 
have  now  heard  of  the  Bible,  and  know  that  the  Book  contains 
the  words  of  God.  Extensive  religious  movements  have  taken 
place  in  some  provinces.  "A  Protestant  church  has  just  been 
formed  at  Alengon,  the  rise  of  which  is  owing  to  the  distri- 
bution of  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  effected  by  a  colporteur.  On 
Sunday,  the  24th  of  September,  1853,  the  first  service  was  held, 
in  presence  of  400  persons.  The  prayers,  the  solemn  reading 
of  the  Bible,  the  sermon,  and  the  well-executed  singing  of  several 
hymns,  produced  a  deep  and  powerful  impression  on  the  whole 
of  the  audience. 

^'  Among  these  new  disciples  of  the  gospel,  about  twenty  were 
pointed  out,  who,  in  the  most  boisterous  weather,  had  come  a 
distance  of  nearly  seven  leagues,  in  order  to  be  present  at  a  cere- 
mony which,  for  them,  was  no  mere  outward  form.  Seventeen 
of  these  worthy  peasants  had  come  in  carts,  having  for  several 
days  previously  saved,  sous  bj  sous  from  their  7iecessary  expendv- 


PROTESTANT  CHURCH  AT  ALENgON.  399 


ture^  the  trifling  sum  which  they  req^iired  for  the  journey.  The 
three  others — two  men  and  one  woman  (persons  earning  abso- 
lutely no  more  than  their  daily  bread — an  expression  to  be 
understood  literally,)  and  one  of  the  men  earring  a  Bible,  in 
8vo,  well  wrapped  up,  under  his  arm — had  started  on  their  jour- 
ney at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  amid  torrents  of  rain,  in 
order  to  accomplish  the  journey  of  seven  leagues  in  proper  time ; — 
a  journey  which  they  retraced  in  the  evening,  setting  out  at  half- 
past  nine,  and  in  weather,  if  any  thing,  worse  than  that  of  the 
morning.  We  were  truly  and  deeply  humbled  at  witnessing  this 
proof  of  zeal  and  love  for  the  things  of  God.  As  for  these  good 
people  themselves,  they  thought  nothing  of  the  matter  :  '  We  so 
greatly  love  the  Bible,'  said  they,  '  that,  to  hear  it  spoken  about, 
we  would  willingly  go  much  farther  still.' 

"  At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  there  was  another  service, 
which  attracted  a  much  greater  audience  than  was  even  the  case 
in  the  morning.  This  service  was  held  for  the  purpose  of  baptiz- 
ing two  infants,  brought  by  two  families  belonging  to  the  new 
members  of  the  Alengon  flock ;  after  that,  the  Lord's  Supper  was 
partaken  of  by  the  Christian  friends  who  had  come  from  a  dis- 
tance, by  Mr.  Audebez  and  his  large  family,  as  well  as,  to  our 
great  joy,  by  ten  converts — ^by  ten  new  Christians,  and  who  had 
become  such  since  they  had  received  the  Bible  from  the  hands  of 
your  colporteur. 

"  These  two  celebrations  produced  the  greatest  impression  on 
the  numerous  persons  who  witnessed  them,  and  who,  during  the 
whole  time,  were  standing  in  a  dense  throng,  and  throughout  the 
whole  preserved  the  greatest  silence.  On  going  away,  several 
among  the  crowd  were  heard  to  remark  :  ^  They  communicate,  as 
we  are  taught  in  the  gospel  that  Jesus  Christ  communicated  with 
his  disciples.'  '  Theirs  is  a  true  religion.'  '  One  can  understand 
all  they  preach  about.'  '  They  seem  to  be  happy,  and  to  love  each 
other  as  brethren.'  '  This  is  the  worship  which  we  shall  in  futur<» 
attend.'  And,  as  if  to  show  that  these  expressions  were  sincere^ 
sixty  persons  purchased  copies  of  the  Scriptures  between  the 
Saturday  and  Monday  evening. 


400  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


^'  Who  will  venture,  after  such  a  fact,  to  utter  a  doubt  as  to  the 
positive  and  blessed  results  of  the  work  of  Bible  colportage  ? 

"  This,  then,  is  the  moment,  the  fitting  moment,  to  spread  over 
the  country,  in  increased  numbers,  the  distributors  of  the  sacred 
Scriptures ;  this  is  the  moment  to  pray,  with  renewed  fervour, 
that  God  may  graciously  accompany  their  efforts  with  his  abundant 
blessing." 

BELGIUM. 

It  is  in  the  Report  for  1837  that  special  notice  is  first  taken  of 
the  successful  labours  and  unwearied  zeal  of  Mr.  W.  P.  Tiddy, 
the  society's  agent  in  Belgium,  who,  with  the  colporteurs  under 
his  control,  sold,  in  little  more  than  the  space  of  one  year,  8420 
volumes  of  Scripture,  the  greater  part  being  Testaments,  which, 
however,  he  says,  induce  afterward  the  desire  for  Bibles.  These 
were  sold  in  the  French,  English,  Flemish,  German,  Dutch,  Por- 
tuguese, Polish,  Italian,  Greek,  Spanish,  Swedish,  Danish,  and 
Hebrew  languages,  and  showed  an  amazing  increase  of  deiiiand 
for  the  Scriptures  through  the  steady  employment  of  the  system 
of  colportage.  The  agents  went  through  all  the  towns,  left  them 
for  a  few  months,  and  then  commenced  again.  We  know  not 
where  to  select  from  Mr.  Tiddy' s  Reports  for  Belgium,  any  more 
than  from  Monsieur  de  P.'s  for  France;  for  they  would  form 
altogether  volumes  of  unspeakable  interest,  and  would  now  com- 
prise a  series  of  facts  extending  over  many  years.  We  must  give 
two  or  three. 

From  Dour,  Mr.  Tiddy  writes :  "  I  know  not  how  to  describe 
to  you  the  delightful  prospect  before  us  in  this  neighbourhood,  or 
the  wonderful  effects  of  the  distribution  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures 
here.  Walking  one  day  with  M.  de  Visme,  he  exclaimed,  '  It  is 
the  Bible  that  fills  my  church ;  it  is  the  Bible  that  brings  the 
people  to  hear  the  preached  gospel ;  it  is  the  Bible  that  brings 
the  people  to  me  to  ask  about  their  souls.  I  never  hear  any  thina 
of  them,  till  they  have  somewhere  read  the  Bible. ^  This  depart- 
ment has  been  well  visited  for  years  past,  and  still  the  Books  find 
a  ready  sale  " 


BELGIUM.  401 


We  ought  to  have  noticed  in  the  account  of  the  society's  library, 
a  Bible  presented  by  Mr.  Tiddy — a  Bible  which  ten  or  twelve 
persons  in  Dour  had  subscribed  for  together,  and  which  had  been 
purchased  in  Holland,  where  it  cost  thirty-two  francs.  It  is  an 
edition  of  Ostervald,  and  the  contrast  in  the  present  price  of  a 
Bible  is  a  strong  proof  of  the  advantages  of  Bible  Societies. 

Some  one  Bible  in  a  village,  thus  procured  at  great  cost,  once 
excited  the  rage  of  some  priests ;  for  it  was  known  to  them  that 
such  existed  ;  but  they  could  never  find  it,  though  many  a  search 
was  made  for  it.  The  persons  to  whom  it  belonged  used  to  hide 
it  away  by  day,  and  by  night  go  into  the  woods  with  it,  and  there 
hang  a  lantern  up  to  a  tree,  and  read  it. 

At  other  times  they  would  agree  to  meet  in  some  old  burrow, 
or  other  sacred  place,  for  the  same  purpose.  They  sang  also  the 
Psalms  of  David  to  song-tunes,  to  deceive  those  who  might  over- 
hear them.  One  day  when  the  men  were  absent  at  their  work, 
and  the  women  gone  to  the  next  market-town,  a  general  search 
was  made — for  the  priests  were  always  on  the  watch  to  see  when 
the  house  which  contained  it  was  left  without  any  one  but  the 
child  or  some  young  person.  They  made  a  regular  search,  but, 
like  all  others  up  to  that  moment,  in  vain,  and  the  priests  and 
police  turned  to  go  their  houses ;  but  on  their  way  back,  one  of 
the  policemen  said,  "  I  am  sure,  if  we  go  back  to  such  a  house 
(naming  it,)  we  shall  find  the  Bible.  I  observed  that  in  that 
house  the  child  was  in  the  cradle ;  and,  whether  it  was  asleep  or 
awake,  the  girl  sitting  by  it  continually  rocked  it.'' 

Arrived  at  the  house,  they  went  direct  to  the  cradle,  took  up  the 
child,  turned  out  the  bed,  and  found  the  Bible.  The  little  girl 
who  watched  it  was  only  ten  years  old,  and  she  burst  into  tears ; 
but  they  rejoiced  over  their  success,  and  walked  away  in  triumph. 

The  poor  villagers  wept  when  they  came  home  in  the  evening, 

and  said  they  would  rather  have  heard  that  their  houses  had  been 

burned  to  the  ground  than  that  their  Bible  should  have  been  taken 

from  them.     They  tried  to  get  it  again,  but  that  was  impossible 

Alas  !  for  the  poor  solitary  Bible,  and  blessings  on  the  era  of  Bible 

S-Ocieties ! 

34* 


102  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


In  the  year  1838,  the  work  of  circulating  the  Scriptures  in 
Belgium  still  further  assumed  an  unlooked-for  extent  and  import- 
ance. The  committee  could  only  exclaim  :  "  This  is  the  Lord's 
doing,  and  it  is  marvellous  in  our  eyes  !"  The  issue  of  8420 
volumes  in  a  year  had  now  increased  to  20,548  volumes,  17,000 
of  which  had  been  circulated  by  the  brave  colporteurs,  persevering 
in  their  peaceful,  self-denying  labours,  though  in  the  midst  of 
reproaches,  insults,  and  •  threatenings.  Their  books  have  often 
been  stolen,  forced  away,  torn,  and  burned  before  their  eyes ;  but 
*^  through  evil  report  and  through  good  report,"  they  have  held  on 
their  way,  sometimes  owing  their  personal  safety  to  the  interfe- 
rence of  the  civil  powers,  and  at  other  times  to  military  authority, 

They  have  had  to  contend  with  the  potent  opposition  of  all  the 
patriarchs,  primates,  archbishops,  and  bishops  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  who  were  thus  addressed  by  Pope  Leo  XII., 
true  to  the  principles  of  his  ancient  system,  in  his  encyclical  letter 
of  1824,  given  at  Rome  in  the  first  year  of  his  pontificate : 

"You  are  aware,  venerable  brethren,  that  a  certain  society 
called  the  Bible  Society,  strolls  with  effrontery  through  the  world; 
which  society,  contemning  the  traditions  of  the  holy  fathers,  and 
contrary  to  the  well-known  decree  of  the  council  of  Trent,  labours 
with  all  its  might,  and  by  every  means,  to  translate,  or  rather  to 
pervert  the  Holy  Scriptures  into  the  vulgar  language  of  every 
nation )  from  which  proceeding  it  is  greatly  to  be  feared  that,  by 
a  perverse  interpretation,  the  gospel  of  Christ  may  be  turned  into 
a  human  gospel;  or,  what  is  worse,  the  gospel  of  the  devil.  To 
avert  this  plague,  our  predecessors  published  many  ordinances, 
and  proofs  collected  from  the  Holy  Scriptures  and  tradition,  to 
show  how  noxious  this  most  wicked  novelty  is  to  faith  and  morals. 

'^  We  exhort  you,  therefore,  by  all  means  to  turn  away  your 
flocks  from  these  poisonous  pastures,  being  persuaded  that  if  the 
Scriptures  be  everywhere  indiscriminately  published,  more  evil 
than  advantage  will  arise  on  account  of  the  rashness  of  men,"  &c. 

On  such  documents,  the  Bible  Society  "  refrain  from  making 
any  comment.  They  will  rather  indulge  in  silent  grief,  that  the 
pimple  object  of  the  s:)ciety  should  be  so  misunderstood  and  mis- 


COLPORTAGE  IN  BELGIUM.  403 


represented,  and  that  there  should  be  found  men  who,  from  what- 
ever motives,  think  it  right  to  interpose  between  God's  own  word 
and  the  creatures  to  whom  it  is  given.' ^ 

During  1839,  Mr.  Tiddy  employed  seven  colporteurs,  whc  fre- 
quently visited  with  good  effect  the  same  places  two  or  three 
times;  and  it  is  inspiring  to  read  his  communications  given  in 
the  Monthly  Extracts.  We  have  certainly  much  to  rejoice  over, 
when  we  think  that  there  are  upward  of  50,000  copies  of  the 
sacred  Scriptures  abroad  in  this  land.  The?/ must  bear  fruit ; 
"and  the  time  will  come,  when  these  50,000  talents  will  bring  in 
other  50,000  talents,  and  for  Bibles  we  shall  have  souls/' 

Mr.  Tiddy  mentions,  that  a  celebrated  Jesuit  preacher  insisted 
very  much  on  "  our  having  stolen  the  Bible  from  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church;  that  we  have  no  claim  to  it,  that  we  have  lost 
all  right  to  it;  and  that  Luther  stole  it  out  of  the  convent."  "I 
was  sorry  I  could  not  tell  him  that  we  wished  to  follow  or  even 
outdo  Zaccheus,  the  chief  among  the  publicans,  who  offered  to 
restore  fourfold  what  he  had  taken,  and  that  we  wished  to  restore 
the  Bible  to  them  a  hundred-thousandfold. '^ 

In  the  year  1844,  Mr.  Joseph  John  Gurney,  a  devoted  mem- 
ber of  the  Bible  Society,  and  one  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  who 
is  now  no  more,  had  been  travelling  in  France,  Germany,  Prussia, 
and  Belgium ;  and,  observing  the  state  of  men's  minds  with  regard 
to  the  Bible,  he  thought  they  might  be  divided  into  three  great 
classes :  first,  a  powerful,  insidious,  and  learned  class,  endeavour- 
ing with  all  their  might  to  destroy  the  foundations  of  Christianity, 
many  of  them  professors  of  universities,  turning  all  the  miracles 
of  the  New  Testament  into  mere  natural  circumstances,  speaking 
even  of  the  Divinity  of  a  Christ  as  a  sort  of  ornament,  and  poison- 
ing the  minds  of  tens  of  thousands  of  ingenuous  youth  by  their 
dangerous  suggestions,  "takiiig  away  from  the  things  that  jire 
written  in  the  Book;"  a  second  class  1^  beheld,  yet  larger  and 
more  powerful,  but  distinguished  by  ignorance  rather  than  learning, 
adding  gross  and  childish  superstitions,  such  ceremonies  as  crown- 
ing the  statues  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  other  gilded  rubbish, 
"  to  the  things  that  were  written  in  the  Book,"  and  desirous  to 


404  THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


abridge  the  religious  liberty  of  a  third  class,  whom  he  found  a 
little  party,  a  small  but  increasing  proportion,  including  all  classes, 
from  some  of  the  royal  families  down  to  the  peasantry,  showing 
themselves  on  the  side  of  simple  Christian  truth,  adopting  the 
Book  of  revelation  as  their  guide,  and  using  all  their  influence 
widely  to  distribute  it.  Mr.  Gurney  avowed  his  conviction  that 
this  third  party  is  growing  stronger  and  stronger  on  the  continent, 
and  that  the  circulation  of  De  Sacy's  version  is  daily  increasing 
it.  He  bears  testimony  to  Monsieur  de  P.'s  unwearied  zeal,  in 
having  distributed  140,000  copies  during  the  previous  year.  He 
says,  ''There  is  a  spiritual  life  arising  in  France  at  this  time, 
which  all  the  efforts  of  all  the  popes  and  cardinals  in  Christen- 
dom will  not  be  able  to  put  down.  In  Belgium,  the  agent  of  the 
Bible  Society  is  quietly  distributing  a  thousand  copies  of  the 
Scriptures  every  month.  It  is  all  in  preparation  for  the  vast 
struggle  coming  on  between  the  powers  of  light  and  darkness ; 
and  the  Scriptures,'^  continues  Mr.  Gurney,  ''are  being  read,  as 
well  as  distributed,  and  many  are  determined  to  abide  by  them, 
come  what  may  V 

Ten  years  have  passed  since  then,  and  the  same  process  has 
been  going  on  between  the  same  parties.  Mr.  Tiddy  has  been  at 
work  for  eighteen  years  in  Belgium;  and  he  still  says  of  the 
Bibles  and  Testaments  circulated  by  his  colporteurs  there,  (now 
nearly  200,000  volumes,)  "  What  are  these  among  so  many  V 

In  Cologne  also,  and  the  Khenish  provinces,  he  has,  since  the 
year  1847,  circulated  273,503  copies,  and  he  still  believes  that 
*'for  these  Bibles  we  shall  have  souls." 


CHAPTER  X. 

The  Old  Fountain  restored  in  Assyria — The  Nestorian  Churcli — Ameiican  Mis- 
sions— Dr.  Layard's  Testimony — The  Armenians,  the  Coptic,  the  Abyssinian, 
and  the  Waldensian  Churches — The  Jews — Jerusalem — Nazareth. 

Our  fourth  division  is  again  the  work  of  the  Bible  Society,  as 
reviewed  (very  briefly)  from  this  Jubilee  Year  among  the  Jews 
and  ancient  Christian  churches.  There  is  certainly  no  depart- 
ment of  its  labours  so  worthy  of  being  singled  out  and  noticed. 

Mr.  (now  Dr.)  Layard,  in  his  recent  researches  among  the  rock- 
sculptures  at  Bavian,*  discovered  remains  and  foundations  in  well- 
hewn  stone  buried  under  the  mud  of  the  river  Gomel.  He  also 
on  removing  the  earth  found  a  series  of  basins  cut  in  the  rock, 
and  descending  in  steps  to  the  stream.  The  water  had  been 
originally  led  from  one  to  the  other  through  conduits,  which  of 
course  were  choked  up;  but  he  and  his  Arabs  cleared  them,  and 
by  pouring  water  into  the  upper  basin  restored  the  fountain  as  it 
had  been  in  the  time  of  the  Assyrians.  This  is  just  what  the 
Bible  Society  is  doing  with  the  "water  of  life.''  It  has  cleared 
the  old  conduits,  and  the  refreshing  stream  through  its  means  is 
once  more  fertilizing  the  ancient  churches. 

We  have  noticed  the  return  of  the  light  of  truth  to  long  un- 
happy Ireland,  and  by  the  very  means  that  Mr.  Charles  of  Bala 
recommended, — the  Scriptures  in  her  native  tongue, — "  once  the 
tongue  of  literature  and  science." 

The  revisitation  of  the  ancient  missions  of  the  Nestorians  in 
China,  has  also  been  treated  of  under  the  head  of  "Heathen 
Countries."     We  must  now  look  upon — 

THE   NESTORIAN    CHURCH. 

In  it3  native  seats,  by  the  help  of  some  interesting  details  from 
American  missionaries,  who  have  laboured  among  them  since  the 


*  See  "Diicovorics  at  Nil  ;veh  and  Babylon,"  p.  215. 

405 


406  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS   STORY. 


year  1834,  and  also  through  the  means  of  some  information  from 
Dr.  Layard.     The  Rev.  D.  Stoddard  says : 

''In  the  north  of  Persia,  at  the  base  of  lofty  mountains,  whose 
snows  glitter  in  the  sun,  is  a  plain  of  great  extent  and  uncommon 
beauty.  This  is  the  province  of  Oroomiah,  the  home  of  the 
Nestorian  Christians.  Let  the  reader  stand  with  me  on  the  flat- 
terraced  roof  of  our  mission-house  on  Mount  Seir.  We  are  1000 
feet  above  the  plain,  which  lies  stretched  before  us  in  all  its 
beauty,  forty  miles  in  length,  girt  about  with  rugged  mountains, 
dotted  with  hundreds  of  villages,  verdant  with  foliage,  and  re- 
joicing in  its  thousand  fields  of  golden  grain.  Beyond  the  plain 
is  the  lake  of  Oroomiah,  studded  with  islands.  Mounds  of  ashes, 
with  a  scanty  soil  on  them,  conspicuous  in  different  parts  of  the 
plain,  have  been  supposed  to  be  the  places  where  the  sacred  fire 
was  ever  kept  burning,  and  where  the  Parsee  priests  bowed  in 
adoration  to  the  rising  sun. 

''The  Nestorians  are  a  people  interesting  from  their  language, — 
the  Syriac, — closely  akin  to  the  Hebrew,  and  spoken  many  cen- 
turies before  the  birth  of  Christ, — a  language  nearly  identical 
with  what  was  commonly  used  in  Palestine  in  the  days  of  our 
Saviour,  and  the  medium  through  which  he  conversed  with  his 
disciples,  and  instructed  the  people;  and  it  was  in  this  same  lan- 
guage, that,  in  his  dying  agony,  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  say- 
ing, '  Eloi !  Eloi !  lama  sabachthani  ?'  '  My  Grod !  my  God !  why 
hast  thou  forsaken  me?' 

"The  power  of  Mohammed  hunted  down  the  Nestorians  like 
defenceless  sheep,  in  the  midst  of  their  missionary  enterprises. 
Presented  with  the  dreadful  alternative  of  'the  Koran  or  the 
sword,'  they  melted  away  at  last  like  the  snows  of  spring;  and 
for  centuries  they  have  been  sunk  in  ignorance  and  superstition. 
The  modern  remnant  of  this  ancient  and  venerable  church  con- 
sists of  about  100,000  souls,  nearly  half  of  them  residing  in  the 
plains  of  Oroomiah,  and  the  rest  scattered  over  the  wild  and  rug- 
ged ranges  of  the  Kurdish  Mountains, — the  districts  of  Tekhoma 
and  Tiyari. 

"They   are  a  good-looking   people,    not   having  the  peculiar 


THE   NESTORIAN    CHURCH.  407 


physiognomy  of  the  Jews,  from  whom,  however,  some  consider 
them  descended, — inquisitive,  and  unwearied  in  acquiring  know- 
ledge. 'We  thank  you/  'We* thank  you,'  is  uttered  by  many 
voices,  after  any  religious  teaching.  In  the  midst  of  the  deep 
corruption  of  their  church,  they  have  been  kept  far  nearer  the 
Bible  standard  than  the  Roman  Catholic,  Greek,  or  Armenian 
Churches.  I  never  met  with  a  Nestorian  who  denied  the  supreme 
authority  of  God's  word.  Image  and  picture  worship  they  hold 
in  abhorrence,  also  auricular  confession  and  priestly  absolution. 
They  have  no  mass  or  worship  of  the  host.  They  do  not  refuse 
the  cup  to  any  communicant.  They  reject  the  doctrines  of  bap- 
tismal regeneration,  of  penance,  and  of  purgatory,  as  unscriptural 
and  wrong;  and  they  are  extremely  liberal  in  their  feelings  toward 
all  those  with  whom  they  are  'one  in  Christ  Jesus.'  They  have 
always  welcomed  the  American  brethren,  and  granted  their 
churches  to  us  for  the  preaching  of  the  gospel.  Mr.  S.,  one  of 
our  number,  was  ordained  by  us,  in  an  old  Nestorian  church. 
Their  own  organization  is  episcopal;  yet  bishops,  priests,  and 
deacons,  all  stood  by,  and  witnessed  this  ceremony  with  evident 
gratification.  It  must  be  added,  that,  during  our  long  residence 
here,  we  have  laboured  with  the  sole  object  of  spreading  Bible- 
truth,  and  bringing  the  people  back  to  an  humble,  holy  life,  and 
have  studiously  avoided  any  mere  sectarian  efforts. 

''Dr.  Perkins,  the  pioneer  of  our  mission,  found  this  ancient 
church  prostrate  in  the  dust.  The  people  were  grossly  ignorant. 
They  had  no  schools,  and  not  half-a-dozen  readers  in  a  whole 
village.  All  their  books  were  in  manuscript,  and  of  course 
scarce,  and  sold  at  a  high  price.  Stealing  was  prevalent, — lying 
inwrought  into  all  their  habits.  They  used  to  say,  'We  all  lie, 
here.  Do  you  think  our  business  would  prosper  and  we  not  lie  ?' 
Wine  circulated  like  water;  and,  with  many  features  of  ortho- 
doxy, religion  was  a  thing  of  form  and  outside  show.  Now  there 
are  seventy  village-schools,  and  two  seminaries  for  training  up 
young  men  and  women  to  go  forth  and  repair  the  wastes  of  many 
generations.  The  sacred  fire  is  kindled  once  more  upon  their 
venerable  altars.     The  Holy  Scriptures  are   now  happily  com- 


408  THE    BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


pleted  in  both  the  ancient  and  modern  language  of  the  Nesto- 
rians.  The  contents  of  their  own  rare,  ancient,  Syriac  manu- 
scripts have  been  returned  to  them  in  a  printed  form.  Their 
own  clergy  have  aided  us  in  the  translation  of  separate  portions; 
and  I  shall  never  forget  their  emotion  when  we  had  first  trans- 
lated the  Lord's  Prayer.  The  Nestorian  ecclesiastics  who  were 
with  me  were  interested  and  delighted  above  measure  at  the  first 
sight  of  their  language  in  a  icritten  form.  They  would  read  a 
line,  and  then  laugh  audibly  with  satisfaction.  We  copied  many 
portions,  on  cards,  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society's 
editions  of  the  Scriptures  in  the  ancient  language,  till  the  arrival 
of  our  press  in  1840. 

''This  was  an  event  of  great  interest  and  joy.  As  I  carried 
the  proof-sheet  of  our  first  small  book,  composed  of  portions  of 
the  Scriptures,  into  my  study  for  correction,  and  laid  it  upon  the 
table  before  my  translators,  they  were  struck  with  mute  astonish- 
ment and  rapture  to  see  their  language  in  print;  and  as  soon  as 
their  recovery  from  surprise  allowed  them  utterance,  'It  is  time 
to  give  glory  to  God!'  was  their  mutual  exclamation,  'now 
that  we  behold  the  commencement  of  printing  books  for  our 
people.' '' 

The  entire  Old  Testament  was  published  in  1842,  in  ancient 
and  modern  Syriac,  in  parallel  columns,  by  the  American  Bible 
Society.  It  forms  a  large  quarto  volume  of  more  than  1000 
pages. 

Dr.  Perkins  continues:  "The  influence  of  the  Holy  Scriptures 
on  the  pupils  in  our  schools  and  training  colleges,  and  on  the 
scores  and  hundreds  of  adult  Nestorians  who  are  learning  to  read 
in  our  Sabbath-schools,  and  at  their  humble  homes,  and  through 
all  these  readers  on  the  mass  of  the  people,  is  incalculable. 

"Here,  also,  efibrts  have  been  made,  by  papal  emissaries,  to 
pervert  the  people ;  and  they  offer  the  most  serious  obstacles  we 
have  to  encounter  in  our  missionary  labours.  They  denounce  the 
Holy  Scriptures  as  ^corrupt  English  hooks,'  and  forbid  their  con- 
verts to  read  them." 

French  papists  at  Mosul,  and  at  Elkoosh,  (the  venerable  home 


THE    NESTORIAN    CHURCH.  409 


of  the  prophet  Nahum,)  have  made  many  converts  among  the 
simple  people,  who  but  too  readily  yield  to  their  influence 

In  Dr.  Layard's  account  of  his  recent  tour,  we  have  a  vivid 
sketch  of  the  Nestorian  tribes,  who  are  intrenched  among  the 
mountains  of  Assyria. 

Soon  after  they  had  been  put  in  possession  of  2000  copies  of 
the  four  Gospels,  by  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  in 
1830,  the  Divine  seed  sprang  up,  and  bore  fruit  to  the  glory  of 
God.  The  American  missionaries  say  of  these  tribes:  "Many 
of  the  people  appear  like  persons  awakened  from  a  deep  sleep, 
and  are  inquiring,  ^How  is  it  that  we  have  been  kept  so  long  in 
ignorance  and  self-delusion  ?'  To  which  inquiry  their  priests 
reply,  'We  ourselves  have  till  now  been  dead  in  trespasses  and 
sins,  and  our  sin  is  greater  than  yours  for  having  hidden  the 
light  from  you  so  long.' " 


We  owe  to  Dr.  Layard  many  details  of  this  early  church,  inte- 
resting as  connected  with  what  is  said  of  them  in  the  Reports  of 
the  Bible  Society.  He  has  made  two  visits  to  their  villages  in 
the  Tiyari  mountains,  while  taking  refuge  from  the  heats  of  the 
summer  during  his  labours  at  Nimroud.  He  often  found  the 
people  gone  up  to  their  zomas  or  summer  pastures.  These  are 
little  rocky  nooks,  high  on  the  mountains,  where  they  build  tem- 
porary huts  of  loose  stones,  with  black  goat-hair  canvas  stretched 
over  them,  pitched  at  the  foot  of  snowy  precipices, — yet,  strange 
to  say,  on  a  carpet  of  Alpine  flowers.  He  followed  them  to  their 
zomas.  Though  poor  and  needy,  they  are  hospitable,  and  brought 
their  best  to  the  traveller.  He  says  there  is  an  earnest  religious 
feeling  peculiar  to  them  as  a  people. 

There  are  now  very  few  learned  priests  left  among  them;  yot 
at  the  time  of  the  Arab  invasion  they  were  the  chief  depositaries' 
of  the  learning  of  the  East.  They  translated  the  works  of  Greek 
philosophers  into  their  own  language,  and  retranslated  them  into 
Arabic.  There  exist  among  them  the  T-emains  of  very  old 
churches,  which  have   all  small   eutVances,  m  ordoi    that  their 


410  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


tyrants,  the  Turks,  may  not  lodge  horses  and  beasts  of  burden 
within  their  doors.  Dr.  Layard  sometimes  found  a  book  of  prayer, 
or  the  Scriptures  in  manuscript,  lying  on  the  rude  altar;  but 
frequently  the  greatest  part  of  the  leaves  would  be  wanting,  and 
those  which  remained  were  torn  into  shreds,  or  disfigured  by 
damp  and  mould;  for  tbey  were  compelled  to  hide  in  the  moun- 
tains the  manuscripts  of  the  churches,  or  to  bury  them  in  some 
obscure  place,  at  the  time  of  the  massacre — the  dreadful  massacre 
of  these  poor  people — which  took  place  in  1843,  when  Bader 
Kan  Bey,  with  his  cruel  Kurds,  invaded  the  Tiyari  districts,  and 
murdered  in  cold  blood  nearly  10,000  of  their  inhabitants,  carry- 
ing away  their  women  and  children  as  slaves.  These  captives 
were  afterward  released  through  the  influence  of  the  British  em- 
bassy in  Turkey.  Dr.  Layard  actually  came  in  contact,  near 
Lizan,  with  ocular  evidences  of  this  terrible  slaughter.  Skulls, 
heaps  of  blanched  bones,  and  even  skeletons  of  all  ages,  still  hung 
to  the  dwarf  shrubs  growing  on  the  precipitous  steeps  down 
which  they  had  been  hurled.  Some  of  these  Nestorians  were 
employed  as  diggers  in  the  mounds  at  Nineveh;  and  Dr.  L.  re- 
lates that  several  of  the  priests  or  deacons  were  among  the  work- 
men, who,  on  the  Sabbathi,  repeated  prayers,  or  led  a  hymn  or 
chant. 

He  adds  :  "I  often  watched  these  poor  creatures,  as  they  reve- 
rently knelt,  their  heads  uncovered,  under  the  great  bulls,  cele- 
brating the  praises  of  Him  whose  temples  the  worshippers  of 
those  frowning  idols  had  destroyed,  and  whose  power  they  had 
mocked.  It  was  the  triumph  of  truth  over  paganism.  Never 
had  that  triumph  been  more  forcibly  illustrated  than  by  those 
who  now  bowed  down  in  the  crumbling  halls  of  the  Assyrian 
kings.'' 

Dr.  Layard  visited,  in  the  district  of  Jelu,  the  church  which  is 
said  to  be  the  oldest  in  the  Nestorian  mountains,  "  the  only  one 
that  had  escaped  the  ravages  of  the  Kurds,  and  still  contains  the 
ancient  furniture  and  ornaments.  The  church  was  so  thickly 
hung  with  relics  of  the  most  singular  and  motley  description- 
that    the    ceiling  was    completely  concealed  by  them.     Amon^ 


THE   ARMENIAN    CHURCH.  411 


the  objects  which  first  attracted  my  attention  ware  numerous 
China  bowls^  and  jars  of  elegant  form  and  richly  coloured,  but 
black  with  the  dust  of  ages.  They  were  suspended,  like  the 
other  relics,  from  the  roof.  I  was  assured  that  they  had  been 
there  from  time  out  of  mind,  and  had  been  brought  from  the  dis- 
tant empire  of  Cathay,  by  those  early  missionaries  of  the  Chal- 
dean Church  who  bore  the  tidings  of  the  gospel  to  the  shores  of 
the  Yellow  Sea.  If  such  were  really  the  case,  some  of  them 
might  date  so  far  back  as  the  sixth  or  seventh  centuries,  when 
the  Nestorian  Church  flourished  in  China,  and  its  missions  wero 
spread  over  the  whole  of  Central  Asia.'' 

How  exceedingly  interesting  is  this  independent  testimony  of 
Dr.  Layard,  as  viewed  in  connection  with  the  news  recently  re- 
ceived from  China !  He  appears  to  have  given  excellent  counsel 
to  Mar  Shamoun,  the  unfortunate  and  troubled  patriarch  of  the 
church:  ''I  could  not  disguise  from  him,  that,  in  education  and 
the  free  circulation  of  the  Scriptures,  there  could  alone  be  found 
any  hope  for  his  people."  And  thus  among  the  Tiyari  moun- 
tains exists  the  remnant  of  the  Syro-Chaldaic  or  Nestorian 
Church,  which  once  had  the  "  living  water,"  in  its  ancient  trans- 
lation of  the  Scriptures,  and  dispensed  it  widely  to  the  heathen. 
But  in  course  of  time  these  copies  became  exceedingly  rare.  Mr. 
Wolff,  the  missionary,  in  his  travels  in  Persia,  purchased  some 
of  them,  which  safely  reached  England,  though  they  were  twice 
in  peril  by  shipwreck.  They  came  into  the  possession  of  the 
Bible  Society,  who  discovered  this  translation  to  be  the  same  as 
the  Syriac,  (but  written  in  Chaldee  character,)  and,  by  means  of 
its  learned  editor,  T.  P.  Piatt,  Esq.,  supplied  from  the  Syriac  its 
missing  portions.  The  sacred  Books  were  sent  back  in  a  printed 
form,  and  the  society  might  have  said  with  Dr.  Layard,  "  The 
conduits  were  choked  up,  hut  we  cleared  them,  and  restored  the 
fountain  pure  as  it  had  flowed  in  the  times  of  the  early  Nes- 
torians." 

THE   ARMENIAN   CHURCH. 
The  Armenians,  as  we  have  seen,  arc  a  far-scattered  people — 
the  travelling  merchants  of  the  world.     Their  number  has  been 


412  THE   BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


estimated  at  from  two  to  three  millions  :  and  the  first  attempt  to 
give  them  the  Scriptures  in  their  vulgar  tongue  was  made  by  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society.  In  1837,  a  fount  of  Arme- 
nian type  was  forwarded  to  the  American  missionaries  at  Smyrna, 
and  a  revised  edition  of  the  New  Testament  was  carried  carefully 
and  slowly  through  the  press.  In  1842,  5000  copies  were  issued, 
and  they  came  immediately  into  great  demand ;  indeed,  the  ver- 
sion of  Scripture  in  this  language  has  received  the  manifest  bless- 
ing of  God  in  a  degree  almost  unprecedented.  The  following  is 
the  account  given  by  missionaries  on  the  spot :  '^  There  are  great 
encourag«ments  to  aid  the  Bible  circulation  in  Turkey.  There  is 
probably  not  a  city  in  that  country  to  which  the  Scriptures  in 
modern  languages  have  not  been  carried ;  and  we  might  mention 
twenty  towns  where  Armenians  are  found  who  daily  searcb  them, 
for  the  purpose  of  guiding  their  lives  according  to  their  supreme 
teachings.  In  some  of  these  places,  this  holy  volume,  owing  to 
the  £act  of  its  being  in  the  modern  language,  is  looked  upon  as 
afresh  message  from  heaven;  and  in  such  towns  especial  assem- 
blies are  held  on  the  Sabbath  for  studying  the  Scriptures,  and 
this  occurs  also  in  towns  where  no  foreign  missionary  has  ever 
been.  It  is  the  ivork  of  the  Bihle  alone.  Among  the  Arme- 
nians, the  Bible  in  the  ancient  language  has  always  been  a  promi- 
nent and  central  object  on  the  altar  in  the  church,  and  is  daily 
offered  to  the  people,  after  prayers,  to  be  kissed.  This  may  have 
tended,  perhaps,  to  their  reverence  for  its  teachings  in  the  tongue 
which  they  understand. 

''  The  reading  of  the  Scriptures  among  the  Armenians  has 
cured  many  of  their  scepticism.  They  have  become  convinced, 
that,  whatever  failures  they  might  see  in  professors  of  Christian- 
ity around  them,  here,  in  the  Book,  is  pure,  living  truth !  One 
individual,  a  banker  among  the  Armenians,  said,  'Our  nation 
owes  to  those  who  have  been  the  means  of  acquainting  us  with 
the  word  of  Grod  in  an  intelligible  language,  a  vast  debt  of  grati- 
tude :  they  have  saved  not  only  me  but  many  others  from  infidel- 
ity; for  we  have  found  that  Christianity  has  deeper  foundationg 


ARMENIAN    CHRISTIANS   IN    TURKEY.  413 


than  -we  had  supposed,  and  that  there  is  in  the  word  of  God  some- 
thing upon  wtich  to  anchor  our  faith.' 

^' A  young  man  came  to  purchase  some  copies  of  the  Scriptures 
in  Armenian,  and  said,  '  I  have  received  a  letter  from  my  native 
city,  requesting  me  to  send  them  some  money  for  building  a 
cliurch ;  but  as  I  am  more  desirous  to  build  up  a  church  of  living 
stones  than  any  otlier,  I  shall  send  borne  my  contribution  in  the 
form  of  the  printed  word  of  God/  '' 

With  the  revival  of  truth,  came  also  suffering  to  this  church. 
In  the  former  part  of  the  year  1846,  persecution  of  tbe  "gospel- 
readers,"  as  they  were  called,  was  very  common  in  Turkey.  Three 
men  in  a  village  near  Nicomedia  were  scourged,  one  of  them 
almost  to  death,  in  the  presence  of  the  whole  village.  Nine  men 
of  Ada  Bazar  were  imprisoned  for  the  same  crime.  At  Trebi- 
zond,  the  gospel-readers  were  hunted  like  wild  beasts  in  the  city 
and  on  tbe  mountains.  One  went  into  exile,  by  order  of  the 
pasha ;  one  was  brought  to  Constantinople,  and  chained  in  a  dun- 
geon by  his  neck  and  feet,  for  a  fortnight,  till  he  was  released 
through  the  interposition  of  the  British  ambassador,  who  is  always 
ready  for  every  office  of  humanity. 

In  1847,  Mr.  Baker  writes  :  "  Those  Armenians  who  read  the 
Bible  are  now  called  Protestants,  and  have  been  sadly  persecuted, 
at  Erzeroom,  by  the  Armenian  bishop.  He  applied  to  the  sultan, 
and  the  unexpected  result  has  happily  been  a  special  order  to  see 
that  none  were  molested  on  account  of  religious  opinions.  This 
has  so  encouraged  the  Protestant  Armenians  in  Turkey,  who  have 
now  become  numerous,  that,  in  a  village  near  the  town  of  Nico- 
media, a  congregation  of  Protestant  Armenians  has  sprung  up, 
adopting  the  Scriptures  alone  as  their  rule  of  faith.  No  missionary 
has  ever  been  among  them  but  the  Missionary  of  missionaries — 
the  Bible.  Sometimes  they  have  been  been  attacked  with  stones, 
which  they  calmly  took  up,  and  went  and  deposited  at  the  gover- 
nor's leet,  demanding  protection  and  redress.'' 

Similar  accounts  are  given  from  Aleppo,  of  a  church  of  200 
evangelical  Christians,  formerly  Armenians,  and  solemnly  excom- 
muniiated  hj  the  Armenian  patriarch,  but  to  no  purpose,  for  xnoro 


414  THE  BOOK   AND   ITS   STORY. 


are  daily  added  to  their  numbers.  No  missionary  lias  ever  been 
among  these.  It  is  a  reformation  arising  from  the  reading  of 
the  Scriptures  alone.  ^'  Many  years  ago/'  says  Mr.  Baker,  "  I 
forwarded  a  good  many  Armenian  Testaments  in  this  direction, 
and  as  far  as  Arab-keer.  They  were  read  with  avidity  in  these 
wild  districts,  where  the  people  are  now  earnestly  requesting  a 
missionary.'' 

In  1848,  the  Reports  are  equally  interesting,  and  a  reprint  of 
the  Armenian  Testament  with  marginal  references  was  requested : 
thirty,  forty,  and  fifty  people  were  assembling  together  every 
evening  for  religious  instruction — a  most  extraordinary  change 
in  the  strongholds  of  Mohammedanism.  In  1850,  there  was  an 
earnest  request  for  a  pocket-edition  of  the  same  precious  Book, 
from  those  who  wished  to  have  the  word  of  God  constantly  about 
them,  that  they  might  be  able  in  conversation  with  others  to 
appeal  at  once  ''  to  the  law  and  to  the  testimony." 

In  1851,  the  promotion  of  many  fresh  Protestant  churches  was 
announcfcd  at  Aintab,  Diarbekir,  Mosul,  Cesarea,  &c.  In  all 
these  places,  colporteurs  employed  by  the  missionaries  circulated 
the  word  of  God.  One  of  the  colporteurs  says  that  he  stopped 
one  Saturday  night,  a  mile  distant  from  the  village  of  Hesemek, 
in  a  meadow  on  a  river's  bank.  Before  noon,  on  Sunday,  it  was 
noised  that  he  was  there ;  and  forty  men  came  out  to  see  him, 
and  a  large  party  of  them  kept  him  till  midnight  reading  and 
explaining  to  them  the  word  of  God  in  their  modern  language. 
They  seemed  to  receive  the  word  gladly ;  and,  like  hungry  souls, 
they  made  him  give  up  all  the  Books  he  had,  and  promise  to  bring 
them  a  further  supply. 

The  introduction  of  the  Scriptures  in  all  directions  in  Turkey 
— in  Constantinople,  Smyrna,  Rodosto,  Nicomedia,  Adrianople, 
Trebizond,  Erzeroom,  &c. — has  been  greatly  assisted  by  the  firman 
of  his  imperial  majesty  the  sultan,  confirming  and  enlarging  the 
protection  given  to  all  his  Protestant  subjects,  and  secuPing  to. 
them  the  full  and  free  exercise  of  their  religion. 

The  fact  is,  that  every  year's  Report  of  the  increasing  influence 
of  the  word  of  God,  a^ain  restored  to  this  ancient  church,  is  more 


NICOMEDIA  AND   ADA  BAZAR. 


gratifying  tlian  the  preceding.  In  1852,  the  Ilev.  Isaac  Lowndes, 
the  society's  agent  for  Malta  and  Greece,  writes :  "I  accompanied 
Dr.  Dwight,  one  of  the  American  missionaries,  to  Nicomedia, 
where  we  spent  the  Sabbath,  and  also  to  Ada  Bazar. 

"  Nicomedia  is  situated  on  the  coast  of  the  Sea  of  Marmora, 
fifty  miles  east  of  Constantinople.  It  was  formerly  the  capital 
of  Bithynia,  and  the  residence  of  the  Emperor  Constantine  and 
Bome  of  his  successors,  during  a  part  of  the  year.  Here  Pliny 
resided,  and  from  hence  wrote  to  Trajan  for  advice  as  to  the  best 
measures  for  preventing  the  further  spread  of  Christianity.  Here 
began  the  last  and  worst  of  the  pagan  persecutions  by  the  cruel 
edict  of  Dioclesian.  The  number  of  the  inhabitants  in  the  town 
is  now  declared  to  be  about  35,000. 

*'  I  visited  some  remains  of  antiquity,  supposed  to  be  the  ruins 
of  an  ancient  Christian  church,  and  some  excavations  recently 
made,  prove  it  at  least  to  have  been  the  site  of  a  large  edifice, 
perhaps  that  into  which  first  entered  the  prefect  of  the  praetorian 
band — to  burn,  to  overthrow,  and  to  destroy.*  In  this  verj/ place, 
where  the  persecution  commenced  by  which  Dioclesian  said  he 
had  *  blotted  out  Christianity  from  the  earth,'  is  now  a  church 
of  '  living  stones'  (150  persons  making  a  creditable  profession  of 
religion,)  and  but  one  of  many  similar  churches  to  be  continually 
multiplied,  till  the  '  knowledge  of  the  Lord  shall  cover  the  earth 
as  the  waters  cover  the  sea.' 

"  Ada  Bazar  is  still  fifty  miles  further  east.  The  two  small 
Christian  communities  here  and  at  Nicomedia,  manifest  much  of 
a  missionary  spirit,  and  already  have  sent  out  colporteurs  partly 
at  their  own  expense,  besides  contributing  to  the  support  of  their 
own  pastors.  They  are  a  poor  people,  but  their  deep  poverty 
thus  abounds  in  liberality. 

"There  are  twenty-one  Armenian  Protestant  churches  in  Asia. 
The  one  at  Aintib  has  a  congregation  of  800  persons,  and  they 
worship  in  an  enormous  tent.  There  are  more  than  100  villages  and 
cities,  where  it  is  evident  that  the  gospel  has  begun  to  take  effect,'^ 

*  See  page  101. 


416  THE    BOOK    AND    ITS    STORY. 


The  Rev.  Mr,  Benjamin,  American  missionary  at  Constanti- 
nople, writes,  on  the  22d  of  February,  1853,  to  the  committee  of 
the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  "  as  a  member  of  a  mission 
which  is  indebted  to  that  society  and  for  valuable  editions  of  the 
Divine  word,  which  without  it  would  never  have  seen  the  light :" 
'^  We  may  truly  say,  it  has  been  a  right  arm  to  our  mission. 
May  it  go  forward  till  its  Jubilee  shall  enlist  the  sympathy  and 
praise  of  every  living  soul  upon  the  earth  ! 

"  Sometimes  the  wonder-working  providence  of  God  conveys 
the  copies  furnished  by  the  -society  to  places  hitherto  unapproached 
by  the  missionary  and  even  by  the  colporteur.  Certain  wandering 
Kurds,*  who  roam  over  the  north  of  Syria,  had  possessed  them- 
selves of  a  quantity  of  Armenian  Scriptures,  and  finding  them  of 
no  use  to  themselves,  distributed  them  among  the  Armenian 
population  in  the  neighbourhood  of  their  own  encampment,  b^ 
whom  they  were  joyfully  received. 

"  We  think  you  may  safely  assure  the  friends  of  the  Bible  in 
Great  Britain,  that,  since  the  period  when  the  reign  of  apostasy 
first  extended  over  this  fair  land,  no  year  has  witnessed  so  much 
actual  Christian  progress  efi'ected  as  in  the  last  year.  One  fact 
of  general  notoriety  and  of  great  importance  is,  that  the  circula- 
tion of  the  word  of  God  among  the  Armenians  has  already  put  an 
efiectual  stop  to  the  influence  of  the  Romanists  among  the 
people. 

"For  a  great  number  of  years,  the  papists  have  been  labouring 
with  ceaseless  activity,  and  by  deep-laid  plans,  to  gain  over  to 
their  church  the  Armenian  nation ;  and  they  had  every  prospect 
of  entire  success  in  their  schemes.  The  Armenians  in  general 
observe,  that,  if  the  Protestant  Reformation  among  them  had  not 
commenced  when  it  did,  half  of  the  Armenian  nation,  or,  as  some 
say,  the  whole,  would  long  ere  this  have  become  Roman  Catholic. 


*  The  Kurds  are  the  descendants  of  tlie  ancient  Parthians.  The  Yezidis, 
who  fear  to  utter  the  name  of  Satan,  are  a  tribe  of  Kurds.  The  Kurds  in 
general  profess  Mohammedanism,  but  a  great  number  of  them  have  joined  th« 
N^storian  Christians. 


JUBTI^E    MEETING    AT    CONSTANTINOPLE.  417 


Note,  persons  who  once  combined  with  papists  to  teep  out  the 
Bible  and  Protestantism,  are  ready  to  co-operate  with  Protestants 
in  the  conflict  with  popery." 

Dr.  Layard  again  bears  indejpendent  testimony  to  this  Protestant 
movement  going  on  in  Turkey,  and  he  attributes  it  to  the  very 
judicious  .and  earnest  exertions  of  the  American  missionaries 
during  the  last  fifteen  years.  They  have  educated  intelligent 
youths  from  different  parts  of  the  empire,  who  have  sowed  the 
seeds  of  truth  and  knowledge  far  abroad.  He  notices  the  perse- 
cution, the  intervention  of  our  ambassadors,  and  their  great  in- 
strumentality in  securing  religious  toleration.  He  speaks  of  the 
printing-press  as  publishing  the  Scriptures  in  the  dialects  of  the 
mountain-tribes,  and  rejoices  that  the  English  language  is  now 
planted  in  the  heart  of  Asia,  and  extending  its  benefits  to  un- 
known races.* 


We  have  delightful  tidings  from*  Turkey,  dated  13  th  of  June, 
1853.  The  Rev.  H.  Dwight  tells  us  that  that  was  a  day  long  to 
be  remembered  in  Constantinople,  for  it  was  a  day  on  which  the 
first  public  meeting  was  ever  held  there  to  commemorate  the 
labours  of  evangelical  Christendom  for  the  conversion  of  the 
earth.  It  was  held  at  a  time  when  the  foundations  of  society 
were  threatened,  and  when  the  most  sagacious  politicians  could 
not  tell  whether  in  a  few  weeks  anarchy  and  bloodshed  might  not 
desolate  the  land.  At  such  a  time,  how  blessed  the  privilege  to 
rally  round  the  eternal  word  of  God, — the  sure  foundation,  and 
the  only  light  and  hope  of  the  world  ! 

"This  meeting,"  says  Mr.  Dwight,  '^was  a  Jubilee  meeting 
of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  the  honoured  parent 
of  all  other  Bible  Societies.  It  was  held  in  the  large  saloon  of 
the  Hotel  d'Angleterre,  and  there  must  have  been  present  at  least 
200  persons.  The  present  British  ambassador.  Lord  Stratford  do 
Bedcliffe,  took  the  chair,  and  addressed  the  residents  of  the  place 

*  "  Nineveh  and  Babylon,"  p.  405. 


418  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


and  also  a  few  Christian  travellers  from  England  and  America 
who  happened  to  be  present.  He  alluded  to  the  time  of  the  in- 
stitution of  the  Parent  Society;  that  it  was  when  Napoleon  was 
near  the  zenith  of  his  day,  and  England  was  at  war  with  almost 
every  nation  of  Europe,  that  the  friends  of  the  Bible  first  con- 
ceived the  thought  of  sending  that  one  Book  throughout  all  the 
world.  He  said  he  was  reminded  of  the  ancient  heathen  fable  of 
a  o-olden  chain  suspending  the  earth  from  the  throne  of  Jupiter. 
This  fable  had  become  realized  under  the  Christian  system,  for 
the  Bible  was  the  golden  chain  that  bound  us  to  the  throne  of 
God.  His  lordship  warmly  commended  the  zeal  and  discretion 
which  had  characterized  the  efforts  of  the  American,  German, 
and  English  missionaries,  who  had  all  acted  in  beautiful  harmony 
in  carrying  forward  this  work." 

An  association  was  then  formed  in  connection  with  the  British 
and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  to  assist  in  the  work  of  distributing 
the  word  of  God  in  Turkey. 

Who  shall  tell  the  ejQPect  ef  this  new  movement  on  the  Arme- 
nians, in  all  the  countries  in  which  they  are  scattered,  and  on  the 
Turks  out  of  Europe,  as  well  as  on  Mohammedans  who  are  not 
Turks  ?  The  Asiatic  peninsula  is  the  chief  stronghold  of  Islam, 
and  from  this  centre  may  yet  radiate,  toward  Turkey  in  Asia,  the 
light  of  a  purer  faith. 

Perhaps  you  may  not  have  thought  of  the  fact,  that  it  is  only 
a  manuscript  Koran  which  contests  with  a  printed  Bible.  So- 
cieties have  never  been  formed  for  printing  and  distributing  the 
Koran  of  Mohammed,  or  the  Vedas  and  Shastras  of  the  Hindus. 
The  Mohammedan  copies  the  Koran  for  himself,  and  frequently 
commits  it  to  memory,  as  the  Brahmins  of  India  do  their  sacred 
books.  The  false  lights  shall  die  out;  they  are  not  fitted  for  the 
human  race  ;  but  the  light  of  eternal  truth  must  penetrate  all  the 
dark  places  of  the  earth,  and  be  rekindled  in  language  after  lan- 
guage, till  He  come  whose  right  it  is  to  reign,  and  till  all  ^'the 
kingdoms  of  the  wwld  shall  becone  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord 
and  ot  his  Christ/' 


THE    COPTIC    CHURCH.  419 


THE    COPTIC    CHURCH. 

The  only  language  known  to  have  derived  its  origin  fr  ^m  the 
A^ncient  Egyptian  is  the  Coptic,  the  second  language  in  which  the 
inscription  on  the  Rosetta  stone  is  written. 

This  origin  has  invested  the  Coptic  with  peculiar  interest  in  the 
eyes  of  the  learned.  It  is  called  '^a  venerable  language,"  and  in 
it  the  liturgy  of  the  Coptic  church  is  still  publicly  read ;  but  it 
is  not  understood  by  the  majority  of  the  Copts,  who  mostly  speak 
Arabic. 

The  Copts  themselves  scarcely  form  a  fourteenth  part  of  the 
motley  population  dwelling  on  the  soil  of  their  ancestors.  Some- 
times they  are  persecuted,  sometimes  they  turn  Mohammedans, 
and  they  are  not  now  supposed  to  be  in  number  more  than 
150,000.  They  have  a  patriarch  or  supreme  head,  who  is  also 
the  head  of  the  Abyssinian  church.  In  1829,  an  edition  of  2000 
of  the  Coptic  Grospels,  printed  in  parallel  columns  with  the  Arabic 
version,  was  published  by  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society 
The  text  had  been  prepared  by  the  Coptic  patriarch,  at  the  in- 
stance of  Mr.  Jowett.  "  No  complete  edition  oS  the  Coptic  Old 
Testament  has  yet  been  published,  for  several  of  the  books  are 
missing.  It  is  however  probable,  that  they  are  not  actually  lost, 
and  that  they  may  yet  be  found  in  some  of  the  cloisters  of  Egypt." 
In  1832,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Leider,  a  missionary  connected  with  the 
Church  Missionary  Society,  furnished  the  following  details  re- 
specting Egypt : — 

"  During  our  six  years'  stay  in  Egypt,  all  parts  of  it  have 
several  times  been  visited  by  us,  and  we  have  circulated  the  Holy 
Scriptures  in  Arabic,  Turkish,  Greek,  Armenian,  Italian,  French, 
German,  Spanish,  Hebrew,  and  Coptic.  We  have  endeavoured 
also  to  introduce  the  word  of  God,  or  part  of  it,  into  the  schools 
of  this  nation,  where  hundreds  of  children  now  begin  to  read  the 
word  of  life. 

'^  Though  we  have  not  yet  met  with  real  conversions  among  the 
natives,  we  know  that  the  Holy  Scriptures  are  read  in  many 
houses,  and  that  some  think  more  seriously  about  the  salyatioii 


420  THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


of  tteir  souls,  and  are  anxious  to  lay  aside  those  sinful  customs 
which  are  very  general  in  Egypt,  as  for  instance,  swearing,  lying, 
and  hypocrisy,  so  strongly  condemned  by  holy  writ. 

"  There  are  still  great  numbers  in  Egypt  who  are  not  provided 
with  the  Divine  word.  Some  of  them  cannot  read  it  on  account 
of  the  smallness  of  the  type,  others  are  ignorant  of  the  value  of 
this  great  treasure,  and  many  cannot  obtain  it  for  want  of  money. 
In  regard  to  the  small  type  in  which  the  Arabic  Scriptures  have 
hitherto  been  printed,  I  remark,  that  many  of  the  people  are 
unable  to  read  them,  partly  from  an  incapacity  to  distinguish  the 
letters  from  each  other,  and  partly  from  a  fear  of  losing  their 
present  impaired  sight.  Europeans  cannot  imagine  how  much 
the  Egyptians  suffer  from  weak  eyes,  or  how  many  have  lost  their 
sight  entirely  from  ophthalmia.  It  would  therefore  be  a  most 
necessary  and  noble  work,  were  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society  to  furnish  the  Egyptians,  and  the  Arabs  in  general,  with 
the  Holy  Scriptures  printed  in  large  type." 

The  committee  complied  with  this  suggestion,  and  ordered  5000 
Arabic  Testaments  and  Psalms  in  larger  type,  forthwith.  An 
edition  of  2014  copies  of  the  Coptic  Psalter,  printed  in  parallel 
columns  with  the  Arabic  version,  has  likewise  been  issued  by  the 
Bible  Society. 

The  Rev.  W.  Kruse,  a  missionary  in  Egypt,  writes  from  Cairo : 
^'  The  Coptic  patriarch  becomes  more  and  more  friendly  toward 
us,  and  often  sends  monks  to  us  to  receive  the  Holy  Scriptures. 
One  of  these,  whose  serene,  sincere  look,  confirmed  the  truth  of 
the  words  he  uttered  when  receiving  the  Bible,  said,  '  A  greater 
jtreasure  than  this  I  do  not  look  for  on  earth ;  for  whoever  lives 
according  to  its  contents,  is  safe  and  happy  forever.'  These  monks 
are  always  being  changed  in  the  convent  of  the  patriarchs.  They 
come  from  all  the  convents  in  Egypt  alternately,  at  various  ap- 
pointed times,  to  Cairo,  stay  for  some  time  here,  and  then  return 
to  their  convents,  while  others  take  their  places."  Thus  the 
Scriptures  will  penetrate  into  all  parts  of  Egypt.  The  issues  for 
this  country,  since  1820,  have  reached  6000  copies.     More,  wany 


ABYSSINIA — THE   WALDENSES.        *  421 


more  copies,  and  '■^  a  man  liie  Luther,"  as  one  among  themselves 
has  said;  are  needed  to  reform  this  church. 

ABYSSINIA. 

The  Amharic  Testament  having  been  carried  through  the  press 
in  1829,  the  entire  Bible  was  completed  from  M.  Asselin's  trans- 
.ation  in  1842.  The  copies  printed  have  been  7000,  beside  more 
than  4000  portions  of  Scripture  in  Ethiopic.  There  is  little 
known  at  present  of  the  results  of  distribution,  either  in  the  Abys- 
sinian or  Coptic  Churches ;  but  the  following  details  are  interest- 
ing, furnished  by  the  mis^onaries  before  the  whole  Scriptures 
reached  them.  They  found  it  very  difficult  to  do  any  thing  in 
Abyssinia,  before  they  had  the  wliole  Bible  ;  for  the  reading-people 
are  a  thoughtful  race,  "  very  apt  to  suppose  that  those  who  speak 
to  them  about  religion  are  deceivers ;  but  when  they  can  them- 
selves see  a  passage  in  the  Scriptures  contrary  to  their  opinions, 
they  will  immediately  give  them  up.''  The  missionaries  say  : 
"  We  have  had  one  Abyssinian  with  us  for  nine  months,  and  he 
has  read  so  much  in  the  Amharic  Grospels,  that  he  knows  all  four 
almost  by  heart.  Though  he  is  very  humble  in  every  respect,  he 
does  not  give  up  a  single  error  till  we  have  proved  to  him  by  the 
Gospels  that  it  is  an  error.  He  desires  much  to  have  the  Epistles 
of  Paul,  of  which  we  are  always  speaking."  The  committee  ex- 
pressed a  hope  that  this  intelligent  student  would  prove  a  fair 
specimen  of  his  countrymen. 

THE   WALDENSES. 

By  a  census  made,  about  1820,  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Vau- 
dois  valleys,  it  was  found  that  the  Protestants  were  nearly  17,000 
in  number,  and  the  Catholics  4000. 

Two  or  three  individuals,  during  this  century,  have  been  re- 
markable for  the  interest  they  have  taken  in  the  members  of  this 
ancient  church,  which,  in  its  bitter  sufferings,  has  always  found  so 
much  sympathy  in  the  heart  of  England. 

Felix  Neff,  once  a  young  officer  of  artillery,  afterwards  a  Chris- 

36 


422  THE   BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


tian  pastor,  was  led  by  Providence  to  that  part  of  tbe  French  Alps 
where  the  Vaudois  Church  had  been  established.  He  triumphed 
over  all  obstacles,  and,  like  another  Oberlin,  taught  the  inhabitants 
to  irrigate  their  meadows,  and  to  improve  their  lands ;  but  he  more 
particularly  lent  himself  to  the  task  of  revivifying  their  souls. 

In  his  visits  to  the  Vaudois  valleys  and  to  those  of  Piedmont, 
he  was  forcibly  struck  with  their  richness  of  vegetation  as  con- 
trasted with  the  barrenness  of  the  French  valleys,  and  he  was 
equally  struck  with  their  spiritual  degeneracy.  He  began  to  form, 
prayer-meetings  among  them,  and  thus  was  religious  zeal  revived 
in  these  interesting  valleys.  We  have  already  seen  their  glad  re- 
ception of  help  from  the  Bible  Society.* 

In  1823,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Gilly  journeyed  to  these  valleys,  and, 
when  he  returned,  thousands  were  interested  by  his  published  ac- 
count of  them,  and  among  others.  Major-general  Beckwith,  who 
is  still  their  benefactor.  The  general,  with  other  friends,  has 
erected  and  endowed  a  hundred  schools  among  the  Vaudois ;  and 
in  1830,  forwarded  to  the  committee  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society  a  specimen  page  of  a  translation  of  two  Gospels 
into  the  dialect  which  is  now  spoken  by  them.  The  translation 
was  made  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bert,  pastor  of  La  Tour.  The  society 
undertook  to  publish  1000  copies  in  parallel  columns,  with  Martin's 
French  version.  In  1832,  600  copies  had  been  distributed,  and 
another  edition  was  called  for  of  2000  copies.  A  letter  from 
Major-general  Beckwith,  in  1840,  announces  that  the  Gospels 
sent  into  Northern  Italy  are  freely  circulating  among  the  Protest- 
ants. With  the  progress  of  education,  however,  the  use  of  the 
modern  French  language  is  rapidly  gaining  ground  among  these 
people,  because  French  is  the  medium  of  instruction  in  the  schools. 
Yet  there  is  among  them  a  special  school  for  the  training  of 
young  men  for  the  ministry,  in  which,  since  the  year  1848,  all 
the  candidates  for  the  pastorship  are  instructed  in  Italian,  with  .a 
view  to  the  restorati:n  in  the  valleys  of  their  own  national 
tongue. 

♦  See  page  299. 


THE   JEWS.  423 


In  the  Report  for  1853,  Major-General  Beckwitli  is  said  to  have 
made  a  remittance  of  95^.  13s.  4c?.  for  Italian  and  Piedmonteso 
Scriptures  circulated  by  him  among  the  Waldensian  Churches ; 
and,  on  his  recommendation,  an  edition  of  2500  copies  of  Genesis 
and  Luke,  in  Italian,  will  be  printed ;  and  these  will  be  placed  at 
his  disposal  for.the  purpose  of  distribution. 

"We  have  very  interesting  recent  intelligence  concerning  the 
remarkable  religious  awakening  in  the  north  of  Italy,  and  which 
is  taking  place  through  the  missionary  efforts  of  the  descendants 
of  the  ancient  Waldenses,  and  the  circulation  of  the  Scriptures. 
*'  The  burning  lamp,  surrounded  with  the  seven  stars,"  the  old 
symbol  of  the  Waldensian  Church,  has  begun  to  verify  its  ancient 
motto,  "  Lux  lucet  in  tenebris." 

THE   JEWS. 

But  is  there  any  part  of  the  society's  work,  after  all,  so  de- 
lightful, as  restoring  the  pure  and  living  waters  to  the  nation 
for  whose  sake  they  first  flowed  ?  On  the  brow  of  the  Jew  is 
written  out  past,  and  our  future ;  for,  "if  through  their  fall,  sal- 
vation is  come  unto  the  Gentiles, — if  the  fall  of  them  be  the 
riches  of  the  world,  and  the  diminishing  of  them  the  riches  of 
the  Gentiles,  how  iniicli  more  their  fulness! — for  if  the  casting 
away  of  them  be  the  reconciling  of  the  world,  what  shall  the 
receiving  of  them  he,  hut  life  from  the  deadT^  Romans  xi. 
12, 15. 

And  shall  not  the  Gentile  Church  hasten  the  time  of  her  own 
"  fulness,"  as  she  earnestly  prays  with  Judah  for  her  captive  sister 
Israel  of  old,  "  Return,  we  beseech  thee,  oh  God  of  hosts  :  look 
down  from  heaven,  and  behold,  and  visit  this  vine ;  and  the  vine- 
yard which  thy  right  hand  hath  planted,  and  the  branch  that  thou 
madest  strong  for  thyself?"  Psalm  Ixxx.  14,  15. 

In  various  ways,  during  the  last  quarter  of  a  century,  a  vast 
number  of  copies  of  the  Scriptures,  in  Hebrew  and  other  lac  • 
guages,  have  been  circulated  among  the  Jews  of  different  countries, 
partly  by  means  of  societies  interested  in  their  welfare,  and  partly 
by  purchase,  of  their  own  accord.     The  Report  of  the  Bibld 


424  '  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


Societies  witness  to  the  desire  of  the  Jews  to  possess  the  Bible,  al 
Malta,  at  Dai^ascus,  at  St.  Petersburg,  and  other  places. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Ewald,  formerly  missionary  at  Tunis,  who  appears 
to  be  himself  a  Jew,  gives  us,  in  the  year  1837,  an  interesting 
account  of  his  labours  among  his  brethren  according  to  the  flesh. 
He  has  shown,  he  says,  to  hundreds  of  thousands  of  them  what 
Moses  and  the  prophets  have  foretold  of  the  Redeemer  of  the 
world.  "  In  the  space  of  four  years,  the  time  that  I  have  spent 
in  the  north  of  Africa,  5000  copies  of  the  Scriptures  have  been  put 
into  circiilation  at  Algiers,  at  Tunis,  at  Tripoli,  and  in  many  other 
towns.  Sometimes  there  was  opposition :  the  Mphammedana  priests 
burned  a  Bible,  the  Roman  Catholic  priests  said  it  was  not  genuine, 
and  some  ignorant  Jewish  Rabbins  did  the  same ;  but  still  the  word 
of  life  isread  by  Mohammedans,  Jews,  and  RomanJjatholics. 

"But  some  will  say,  'What  good  have  you  done  by  giving  the 
Bible  to  the  Jews  at  a  low  price  ?  Of  course  they  are  glad  to 
receive  their  own  Scriptures  as  cheap  as  possible ;  but  that  does 
not  bring  them  nearer  to  Christianity.'  Such  questions  have  been 
asked.  Allow  me  to  give  an  answer  to  them.  The  Jews  in  ge- 
neral are  ignorant  of  the  whole  contents  of  the  Bible.  Hundreds 
do  not  read  more  than  the  five  books  of  Moses,  and  some  portions 
of  the  prophets.  Hence  it  ari-ses,  that  they  are  ignorant  of  the 
many  prophecies  respecting  the  Messiah;  and  often,  when  I  quote 
passages  referring  to  His  coming,  sufferings,  and  death,  they  will 
tell  me,  'Those  passages  do  not  occur  in  our  Bible:  you  have 
written  them  in  favour  of  i/our  religion.'  And  this  is  not  the 
case  in  Africa  only,  for  I  have  met  with  the  same  in  Germany, 
and  even  in  England,  where  Bibles  are  so  easily  to  be  had. 

"  Now,  how  can  we  preach  the  Saviour  of  the  world  to  the 
Tews  with  effect  ?  How  can  we  prove  the  truths  of  Christianity 
mt  of  their  own  Scriptures,  if  they  are  ignorant  of  them,  if  they 
have  never  read  the  evangelical  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  the  plain  pre- 
dictions of  David,  and  of  the  rest  of  the  prophets  ?  By  giving 
them  their  own  Scriptures,  we  try  by  the  blessing  of  God  to  make 
ihem  Israelites,  to  draw  them  away  from  the  hollow  cisterns  of 
rabbinism,  and  to  bring  them  to  the  fountain  of  living  water'' 


JEWS   IN    TUNIS.  425 


The  san'.3  missionary  says  :  "  The  Jeivs  now  read  the  word  of 
the  living  God  without  the  comments  of  the  rabbins,  and  often 
wish  the  good  society  which  sent  them  the  Scriptures  at  so 
low  a  price,  a  thousand  blessings  from  above.  At  Zwaghan,  about 
fifty  miles  from  Tunis,  poverty  and  misery  abound,  and  a  shil- 
ling is  of  as  much  value  as  a  pound  in  England.  In  such  places 
especially,  the  benefits  conferred  by  the  Bible  Society  are  fully 
appreciated." 

From  Tunis,  also,  in  1846,  the  Rev.  N.  Davis  writes  as  follows : 
"About  twenty  years  ago,  a  number  of  copies  of  the  Hebrew  New 
Testament  were  sent  hither,  by  your  society,  and  one  of  them 
came  into  the  possession  of  Mr.  Nigjar,  an  infidel  Jew,  who  lent 
it  to  Mr.  Bishmoth,  also  a  Jew,  with  a  view  to  unsettle  his  opi- 
nions likewise.  Mr.  B.  perused  it,  but  it  had  a  difi"erent  efiect 
upon  Kim.  Instead  of  making  him  what  is  falsely  called  liberal- 
minded,  he  became  seriously-minded,  for  he  saw  there  was  no  other 
way  left  him  but  either  to  embrace  the  truths  of  the  gospel,  or 
continue  without  peace  in  this  world,  and  without  hope  beyond 
the  grave. 

"  After  twenty  days,  Mr.  Nigjar  himself  told  me  that  Mr.  Bish- 
moth returned  with  the  Testament.  He  said  he  was  surprised  to 
find  him  in  tears,  and  in  a  very  agitated  state  of  mind,  and  more 
so  still  when  he  exclaimed,  ^Is  this  the  history  of  Jesus  who  is  so 
misrepresented  by  our  rabbins  ?  I  fully  believe  him  to  have  been 
the  Messiah,  and  all  predictions  of  a  Messiah  to  be  fulfilled  in 
him.  Our  nation  is  in  darkness,  and  will  be  so  till  they  believe 
in  him.'  'He  called  on  me  often,'  said  Mr.  N.,  'and  brought  me 
such  wonderful  things  from  Moses  and  the  prophets,  as  would 
greatly  surprise  you.'  Mr.  Nigjar  himself  has,  through  the  in- 
strumentality of  this  maT?,  been  brought  to  a  more  serious  state 
of  mind.  Both  visit  me  :  one  is  in  the  eighty-third  year  of  his 
age,  and  the  other  has  passed  seventy." 

Mr.  Melville,  a  gentleman  who  is  mentioned  in  the  Report  for 
1846  as  indefatigable  in  his  labours  among  the  Tartars,  travelling 
in  an  open  cart  from  village  to  village  in  their  country,  with  boxes 
of  Scriptures  for  distribution,  speaks  of  the  Jews  in  the  following 

36* 


126  THE    BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


encouraging  manner: — ^^ The  Jews  in  Tartary  have  been  groat 
purchasers  of  the  Scriptures  this  year.  There  is  a  general  move- 
ment onwards  among  the  Jews  at  present^  which  we  ought  .to 
follow  up  by  as  large  a  distribution  of  Testaments  as  possible. 
They  are  no  longer  burners  of  those  holy  Books.  They  are 
eagerly  read;  and  by  many  diligently  studied.  May  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord  draw  aside  the  veil,  that  the  beams  of  the  Sun  of  Right- 
eousness may  shine  into  their  hearts,  hitherto  cold  and  icy,  towards 
the  Redeemer  of  Israel !  Much  requires  to  be  done  among  the 
Jews  in  Chersosi.  Many  are  in  deep  poverty,  and  cannot  even 
pay  the  present  low  prices  for  Bibles.  The  almost  general  opinion 
at  present  respecting  the  Jews  is,  that  the  study  of  the  prophets 
will  bring  them  to  embrace  Christianity. 

In  1849,  Mr.  Barker  writes:  '^  Our  work  goes  on  steadily,  and 
the  demand  for  the  Hebrew  Scriptures  continues  unabated,  and, 
if  any  thing,  gains  ground." 

We  have  heard  that  there  is,  in  this  Jubilee  Year  of  the  Bible 
Society,  a  remarkable  movement  taking  place  among  the  Jews  in 
every  country  in  which  they  are  scattered.  The  rabbinism  whicli 
has  enslaved  them  for  so  many  ages  is  rapidly  losing  its  influence. 
Multitudes  are  throwing  aside  the  Mishna  and  the  Talmud,  and 
betaking  themselves  again  to  the  study  of  Moses  and  the  prophets. 
Among  the  Jews  in  London,  it  is  said,  there  is  at  this  present 
time  a  great  demand  for  copies  of  the  Hebrew  Old  Testament. 
How  far  the  steady  and  persevering  distribution  of  the  Scriptures 
among  them  may  have  quietly  tended  to  this  result,  we  must  leave 
it  to  a  future  day  to  reveal.  The  subject  of  their  return  to  Pa- 
lestine, and  the  nature  of  the  promises  on  which  this  expectation 
is  founded,  are  engaging  their  deepest  attention.  In  the  exami- 
nation of  this  matter  they  have  been  assisted  by  a  rabbi  from  the 
continent,  who  has  exhibited  a  manuscript,  in  which  he  has  endea- 
voured to  prove  from  Scripture,  that  the  time  has  come  when  the 
Jews  must  make  preparation  for  returning  to  their  own  country — 
the  land  of  their  fathers.  The  said  manuscript  has  been  pub- 
lished both  in  Hebrew  aac  English,  in  the  form  of  a  small  tract^ 


JEWS   IN   PALESTINE.  427 


and  it  is  said  to  be  very  influencial  in  furthering    the  movement 
proposed  by  the  learned  rabbi. 


In  1851,  the  English  bishop  at  Jerusalem  favoured  the  com- 
mittee with  some  interesting  communications.  He  says  :  ^'I  feel 
more  and  more,  that,  if  it  were  not  for  the  liberality  of  the  Bible 
Society,  I  could  scarcely  do  any  thing  in  Palestine.  I  trust  that, 
though  the  returns  of  money  are  scanty,  on  account  of  the  ex- 
treme poverty  of  most  of  those  who  desire  to  receive  the  word  of 
life,  yet  the  returns  in  a  higher  sense  will  reward  those  who  have 
helped  in  sowing  the  incorruptible  seed. 

"  The  work  of  God  has  considerably  developed  itself  at  Naza- 
reth. Very  soon  after  the  first  visit  of  one  of  my  Bible-readers 
to  Nazareth,  several  individuals  of  that  place  visited  me,  and  beg- 
ged that  I  would  establish  a  school  for  children,  as  I  had  done  at 
Nablous ;  but  all  I  could  do  then,  was  to  supply  the  people  with 
Bibles,  and  direct  them  by  correspondence.'^ 

There  are  at  this  time  thirteen  heads  of  families  representing 
sixty-one  souls,  who  have  signed  a  document  by  which  they  de- 
clare themselves  Protestants,  and  fifty  more  are  ready  to  do  the 
same.  They  are  very  anxious  to  be  recognised  by  the  govern- 
ment as  a  Protestant  community.  This  is  in  consequence  of  the 
simple  reading  of  the  Bible, — of  the  history  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
— in  the  very  place  where  the  Lord  abode.  How  delightful  for 
the  Bible  Society  to  be  able  to  say  of  all  these  old  and  interesting 
sources  from  whence  the  Scriptures  have  come  down  to  us,  "  The 
conduits  were  choked  up,  hut  we  cleared  fliem,  and  restored  the 
fountain  pure  as  it  had  flowed  in  the  times  of  old !'' 


CHAPTER  XL 

The  Protestant  Countries :  Holland,  Germany,  Denmark,  Norway,  and  Swedem 
— State  of  the  Continent — Lord  Bexley — Mr.  Brandram — Wales — Scotland- 
England — Ireland — Home  Colporteurs,  and  Collectors — Final  Appeal — Mo- 
tives for  Renewed  Exertion. 

But  now  we  must  approach  our  final  review  of  earth's  Pro- 
testant nations,  and  the  effects  of  Bible-distribution  among  them 
during  the  last  quarter  of  a  century. 

We  must  close  with  Great  Britain;  therefore  we  will  take 
the  rest  in  brief  succession  as  before,  beginning  with — 

HOLLAND. 

The  Netherlands  Bible  Society  had,  in  1832,  been  taking  mea- 
sures to  obtain  a  good  translation  of  the  Javanese  New  Testament. 
They  employed  for  this  purpose  Mr.  Gericke,  who  went  to  Java 
itself;  and,  being  a  good  oriental  scholar,  and  zealous  for  the 
cause  of  God,  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  Javanese  people  more 
than  any  European  ever  did  before,  acquiring  a  deep  and  thorough 
knowledge  of  their  language,  character,  customs,  and  religious 
principles.  While  he  was  getting  all  this  knowledge,  not  only 
by  familiar  conversation  with  the  people  in  general,  but  also  by 
the  opportunities  that  were  afforded  to  him  of  being  admitted  to 
the  courts  of  the  Javanese  princes,  he  did  not  lose  sight  of  the 
two  great  points  of  his  mission,  viz.  the  composing  of  a  Javanese 
grammar,  and  the  translation  of  the  Bible  into  that  tongue.  The 
grammar  has  been  well  received  in  Java,  and  even  the  Javanese 
are  surprised  at  it.  The  King  of  the  Netherlands  presented,  on 
this  account,  to  Mr.  Gericke,  a  gold  medal,  showing  that  the 
government  also  prized  his  exertions. 

In  1844,  colportage  was  adopted  with  great  advantage  in  Hol- 
land ;  and  Mr.  Tiddy  writes,  that  the  sales  at  the  depot  surpass 
428 


HOLLAND — GERMANY.  429 


all  idea  :  in  one  week  they  amounted  to  2250  volumes.  In  nine 
years,  the  sale  of  Scriptures  in  Holland  has  surpassed  326,000 
volumes.  The  depositary  at  Amsterdam  writes  in  1853  :  ^'  Armed 
with  this  sword  of  the  Spirit,  the  colporteurs  continue  their  tra- 
vels ;  and  this  year  we  have  again  experienced  that  our  God  is 
faithful,  and  that  his  word  retains  its  power.  The  opposition  of 
the  papacy  is  increasing.  Against  the  artifices  of  this  party,  the 
strongest  bulwark  is  the  word  of  God.  Notliing  is  feared  hy 
Rome  more  than  this." 

In  1851,  in  forwarding  his  annual  Report,  and  after  lamenting 
the  loss  of  Mr.  Brandram,  Mr.  Tiddy  says  :  "  There  has  been, 
without  doubt,  a  remarkable  revival  brought  about  in  Holland  by 
the  Holy  Spirit's  blessing  on  the  Scriptures  circulated  by  us. 
The  clear  type  and  low  prices  of  the  books  have  been  the  means 
of  introducing  the  word  of  God  where  before  it  was  not  to  be  met 
with.  It  would  often  cheer  your  heart  to  see  the  sparkling  eyes 
of  children  as  they  receive  a  beautiful  Testament  or  Bible  in  ex- 
change for  the  few  copper  cents  they  have  been  carefully  saving 
up  for  thatt  purpose.  It  has  always  appeared  to  me  that  our  col- 
portage  is  literal  obedience  to  the  command  of  our  Lord,  in  Luke 
xiv.  23,  '  And  the  Lord  said  unto  the  servant.  Go  out  into  the 
highways  and  hedges.'  It  certainly  carries  the  treasure  to  thou- 
sands who  would  never  otherwise  receive  it.^' 

GERMANY. 

In  1843,  it  was  said  that  the  missionary  cause  called  forth 
more  interest  in  the  Protestant  states  of  Germany  than  that  of 
the  Bible  Society,  and  the  reason  for  this  was  thus  expressed  : 
''  The  copies  of  the  Bible  which  we  issued  send  us  no  reports  of 
their  labours;  whereas,  the  missionaries  we  send  out  to  the  heathen 
relate  the  dangers  they  pass  through,  the  difficulties  they  encoun- 
ter, and  the  success  which  attend  their  labours.  All  this  awakeni 
and  keeps  alive  an  interest  in  themselves  and  their  work.  But 
with  the  copies  of  the  Scriptures  which  we  send  fortli,  it  ought 
to  be  considered,  that  their  operations,  though  silent,  are  not  less 


430  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS   STORY. 


sure.  They  penetrate  into  the  hearts  of  thousands  of  families, 
whom  the  living  preacher  would  never  have  reached,  and  there 
they  effect  that  for  which  they  were  sent. 

"  We  think  the  cause  of  gospel  truth  is  making  progress  among 
the  Protestant  nations  of  German}^ ;  still  it  will  be  long  before  its 
literature  can  be  purified  from  its  an ti- Christian  leaven.  There 
has  been  a  large  distribution  of  Bibles  in  the  country,  both  by 
the  Continental  Societies  with  the  Apocrypha,  and  by  the  agents 
of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  ivitJwut  it;  and  this  has 
been  followed  by  some  encouraging  appearances  of  the  dawn  of  a 
brighter  day ;  though,  alas  !  it  must  still  be  acknowledged  that 
the  pulpits  and  schools  are  mostly  occupied  by  rationalists  of  va- 
rious shades  ;  and  it  would  seem  as  if  many  years  must  pass  away 
before  the  destructive  doctrines  so  widely  spread  among  all  classes 
will  be  superseded  by  a  simple  faith  in  the  truths  of  revelation. 
They  have  trifled  with  the  facts  of  the  Bible  itself,  and  brought 
themselves  to  believe  that  its  miracles  are  to  be  accounted  for  by 
natural  causes  :  they  have  ^  taken  away  from  the  words  of  the 
book,'  and  added  unto  it  also  by  the  intermixture  of  the  Apocry- 
pha. A  large  proportion  of  the  people  are  in  the  hands  of  the 
Jesuits,  and  they  need  a  new  Luther  Ho  rush  like  a  torrent 
through  the  channels  of  the  watercourses  of  the  Divine  word,' 
still  stopped  up  by  Satan  and  foolish  men,  and  to  carry  away  with 
lis  force  the  blocks  and  barriers  of  unbelief  and  mysticism,  so 
that  the  word  may  have  free  course  and  prevail.'' 

Mr.  E.  Millard,  the  agent  in  Austria  and  Hungary,  having  by 
the  mysterious  providence  of  God  been  compelled  to  leave  that 
promising  sphere,  was  directed  to  settle  at  Breslau,  and  to  endea- 
vour to  extend  the  operations  of  the  society  in  Silesia  and  Posen. 
Here  his  chief  difiiculties  lie  in  the  extreme  poverty  of  the  people, 
their  apathy,  and  their  predilection  for  the  Apocr3'pha.  He  says, 
indeed,  that  the  friends  of  the  pure  word  of  God  are  worried  day 
by  day,  and  hour  by  hour,  on  the  continent,  on  account  of  these 
apocryphal  writings.  The  Jesuits  have  educated  the  people  tc 
believe  that  our  Bibles  are  imperfect.  Still  a  circulation  of  10,000 
copies  in  one  year  has  taken  place,  by  means  of  the  colporteurs. 


GERMANY — DENMARK.  431 


In  1861,  the  venerable  Dr.  Steinkopff  paid  a  visit  to  this  part 
of  the  continent,  and  an  interesting  letter  from  him  states  several 
pleasing  facts.  He  says,  that  pious  ministers  and  people  meet 
together  more  frequently  than  they  did,  even  from  great  distances, 
to  strengthen  each  other's  hands ;  that  there  are  arising  influential 
home  missions,  and  that  spiritual  religion  is  making  some  growth. 
Luther's  German  Bible  has  still  a  large  circulation,  and  tens  of 
thousands  of  Roman  Catholics  boldly  venture  to  read  it,  in  spite 
of  all  the  thunders  of  the  Vatican ;  700,000  copies  of  Dr.  Van 
Ess's  Testament  have  been  distributed,  and  the  energetic  yet 
patient  labours  of  the  Bible  agents  are  casting  seed  into  a  barren 
field,  which  he  believes  will  yet  bring  forth  fruit :  his  closing 
paragraph,  however,  speaks  of  the  present  awful  condition  of  the 
continent  in  a  political,  moral,  and  religious  point  of  view,  which 
should  elicit  earnest  prayer  on  its  behalf,  on  the  part  of  Christians. 
One  of  its  prominent  evils  is  the  profanation  of  the  Christian 
Sabbath — a  distinguishing  fruit  of  the  teaching  derived  from  the 
church  which  hides  the  Bible. 

DENMARK. 

The  Bishop  of  Adensee,  in  this  country  remarks,  that,  '^  with 
regard  to  the  Christian  tendency  of  the  coming  time,  a  great  deal 
will  depend  on  whether  children  from  ten  to  fourteen  years  of  age 
are  made  acquainted  with  the  word  of  God  and  of  Christ ;  for  what 
they  learn  in  their  youth  they  will  not  forget  in  old  age ;  and  whdh. 
life  brings  its  sorrows  and  troubles,  they  will  then  know  where  to 
turn  for  consolation  and  blessing.'' 

Mr.  Henderson  visited  this  country  again  in  1844,  after  the 
lapse  of  nearly  forty  years,  and  speaks  of  a  considerable  number 
of  the  inhabitants  as  inquiring  after  a  better  way.  He  says  :  "In 
many  of  the  churches,  a  portion  of  the  Lord's-day  is  appropriated 
by  the  clergy  to  the  public  reading  of  the  Bible,  accompanied  by 
explanatory  remarks,  and  the  total  issues  of  the  Bible  Society  in 
Denmark  have  been  193,000  copies.  The  general  state  of  indiifer- 
encc  to  religion,  however,  and  the  general  breach  of  the  Sabbath, 
are  very  painful  to  the  minds  of  Christian  residents  here." 


432  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


NORWAY   AND    SWEDEN. 

There  have  been  colporteurs  in  Sweden  and  in  Norway,  and 
the  distribution  of  the  Bibles  has  gone  on,  though  not  so  actively 
as  might  be  desired.  More  than  100,000  copies  have  been  cir- 
culated in  Norway,  and  more  than  500,000  in  Sweden,  since 
1828.  In  these  countries,  Bible  distribution  is  encouraged  by  the 
authorities ;  and  the  anniversary  meetings  of  the  Bible  Society 
are  attended  by  the  king  and  the  royal  princes;  but  our  limits 
forbid  further  enlargement.  For  the  same  reason,  we  must  not 
enter  upon  Finland,  Lapland,  and  Greenland,  except,  indeed,  to 
state  in  a  few  words  that  the  circulation  of  the  Scriptures  has  been 
increasing  from  year  to  year,  and  that  the  evidences  of  a  Divine 
blessing  on  the  work  prove  that  the  labours  of  the  society  in  the 
frozen  regions  of  the  north  are  "  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord." 


Our  review  of  the  society's  operations  on  the  continent  of  Europe 
may  be  concluded  in  the  language  of  one  who  visited  Belgium  and 
Germany,  in  the  summer  of  1852  : 

^'  I  could  not  help  noticing  two  classes  of  facts  and  circum- 
stances, calculated  on  the  one  hand  to  awaken  ap^jrehension,  and 
on  the  other  to  inspire  hope. 

'■'■  The  rulers  of  continental  Europe  are  persuaded  to  believe 
that  the  free  use  of  the  Bible  and  the  liberty  of  religious  worshij) 
are  dangerous  to  the  stability  of  thrones  and  governments,  and 
hence  the  attempts  made  to  curtail  the  privileges  of  the  people, 
by  laws  and  police  regulations.  Jesuit  missions  are  multiplying. 
These  active  agents  of  Antichrist  itinerate  to  preach  and  to  lecture. 
Their  organs  become  more  daring,  and  they  insinuate  themselves 
and  their  principles  into  the  closets  and  councils  of  princes.  Our 
excellent  colporteurs  experience  increasing  difficulties,  and,  to 
some  extent,  personal  danger,  in  the  prosecution  of  their  work. 
This  especially  the  case  where  their  labours  are  carried  on  among 
an  ignorant  and  bigoted  popish  population,  stirred  up  to  oppo- 
sition by  the  orations  of  Jesuitical  priests.  While  popery  is  thus 
presenting  its  difficulties  in  the  way  of  a  fret  Bible,  infidelity. 


PRESENT    STATE   OF   THE   CONTINENT.  433 


again,  in  various  forms,  sometimes  open  and  vulgar,  and  some- 
times disguised  and  subtile,  in  public  discourses  and  widelj-circu 
lated  books,  presents  powerful  barriers  in  our  way. 

*'  It  must  be  admitted,  however,  tbat  while  there  is  much  to 
awaken  apprehension,  there  is  not  a  little  to  inspire  hope,  and  to 
afford  encouragement.  If  our  foes  are  many,  our  friends  also  are 
numerous,  and  are  increasing  in  number.  If  the  opposition  is 
more  bold  and  bitter  on  the  part  of  the  papists  and  infidels,  the 
support  and  advocacy  of  the  society  are  becoming  more  decided 
and  general.  There  are  reasons  to  believe  that  evangelical  religion 
is  increasing.  Professors  and  pastors  are  coming  nearer  to  '  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.*  A  better  and  purer  literature  is  pro- 
gressing. The  '  Inner  Mission'  of  Germany  is  doing  a  great  and 
good  work,  while  the  French  and  Belgian  Evangelical  Societies 
are  showing  signs  of  growing  life  and  spiritual  vigour,  which, 
with  God's  blessing  on  the  seed  sown  by  our  own  and  other  socie- 
ties, will  produce  a  harvest  of  truth  and  holiness  among  the 
nations  of  the  continent. 

"  When  at  sea,  between  Dover  and  Ostend,  I  heard  some  one 
who  had  been  on  deck  announcing  to  the  passengers  below,  who, 
like  myself,  were  longing  for  dry  land  aud  daylight,  '  I  am  happy 
to  say,  the  day  is  breaking.'  Whether  it  is  imagination,  assisted 
by  an  ardent  desire,  or  the  result  of  sober  investigation  and  a 
careful  survey,  I  hope  I  may  say,  without  presumption,  in  refer- 
ence to  some  parts  at  least  of  the  continent  of  Europe,  'The  day 
is  breaking.' 

"  *  Yes  !  I  hope  the  day  is  creaking, — 
Joyful  times  are  near  at  hand ; 
God,  the  mighty  God,  is  speaking' 
By  his  word  in  every  land  : 

Mark  his  progress ! 
Darkness  flies  at  his  command. 

" '  While  the  foe  becomes  more  daring, — 
AVhile  he  enters  like  a  flood, — 
God  the  Saviour  is  preparing 

Means  to  spread  his  truth  abroad. 

Every  language 
Soon  shall  tell  the  love  of  God.'  ** 
37  • 


434  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS   STORT. 


ENGLAND. 

But  now,  from  our  Jubilee  travels  round  the  world,  we  at  last 
return  home  to  the  happy  isle  which  is  honoured  to  be  siill  the 
centre  and  source  of  all  the  blessed  changes  that  have  been  re- 
corded ;  and  we  return  with  a  most  solemn  view  of  its  present  re- 
sponsibilities. 

In  glancing  at  the  work  of  the  Bible  Society,  during  its  second 
period,  at  home,  we  must  not  omit  to  notice  two  of  its  members, 
the  successors  of  those  who  had  departed,  and  now  themselves, 
also,  ^^not  lost,  but  gone  before,^' — Lord  Bexley,  who  became 
president  when  Lord  Teignmouth  was  no  more,  and  the  Bev. 
Andrew  Brandram,  rector  of  Beckenham,  Kent,  who  accepted  its 
clerical  secretaryship  on  the  death  of  the  Bev.  John  Owen. 

Lord  Bexley  was  elected  president  in  1834,  and  remained  for 
seventeen  years  (until  removed  by  death)  "the  centre  of  the 
widest  circle  the  world  ever  saw.^'*  He  was  among  the  most  un- 
hesitating, yet  prudent,  of  those  who  defended  the  cause  of  the 
society,  during  the  first  years  of  its  existence.  The  cause  was 
not  then  popular,  and  was  much  exposed  to  controversies  which 
it  has  since  outlived.  Lord  Bexley,  then  Mr.  Vansittapt,  counted 
the  cost,  and  willingly  gave  it  his  personal  support,  at  any  sacrifice. 
He  was  one  of  the  earliest  cabinet-ministers  who  enrolled  their 
names  in  its  ranks,  and  always  declared  that  he  considered  it  one 
of  the  most  powerful  means  for  evangelizing  the  whole  world.  He 
knew  the  importance  of  the  Bible  to  others,  because  he  knew  its 
unutterable  value  to  his  own  soul.  He  was  also  the  last  survivor 
among  the  ministers  of  the  venerable  monarch  whose  wish  it  was 
"that  every  man  in  his  dominions  might  be  able  to  read  the 
Bible,"  aud  the  one  who  practically  aimed  to  fulfil  the  wish  of  his 
royal  master.  When  reproached  by  a  professor  of  divinity  for 
"  uniting  with  dissenters"  in  this  great  work,  he  replied,  "  So  far 
from  repenting  of  what  I  have  done,  I  feel  convinced  I  shall  less 

*  Earl  of  Ilarrowby's  Speech,  at  the  Anniversary  of  1851. 


LORD  BEXLEY — MR.  BRANDRAM.  435 


and  less  repent  of  it^  as  I  approach  that  state  in  which  the  distinc- 
tion of  churchman  and  dissenter  will  be  no  more.'^ 

Side  by  side  with  this  declaration  of  Lord  Bexley's,  we  should 
like  you  to  remember  that  of  Dean  Milner :  ^'-I  would  not,  for 
all  this  kingdom  can  bestow,  have  my  conscience  loaded  with  the 
bitter  reflection  that  I  had  ever,  directly  or  indirectly,  been  in- 
strumental in  obstructing  the  free  progress  of  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society." 

The  Bev.  Andrew  Brandram,  who  died  at  Brighton  on  the  26th 
of  December,  1850,  had  been  for  twenty-seven  years  the  inde- 
fatigable clerical  secretary  of  the  society.  He  is  recorded  to  have 
received  his  first  religious  impressions  while  at  Winchester  school, 
and  while  preparing  for  Oriel  college,  Oxford,  where  he  took  a 
double  first-class  rank.  It  is  said,  that,  placing  his  books  in  a 
closet  which  had  been  left  vacant  by  the  boy  who  preceded  him, 
he  found  an  old  Bible,  the  only  thing,  it  seems,  which  it  had 
not  been  thought  worth  while  to  carry  away.  Curiosity  impelled 
him  to  read  it,  and  it  made  him  ^^wise  unto  salvation."  From 
that  time  his  whole  character  was  altered  and  probably  his  after- 
life influenced  as  one  of  the  chief  ofl&cers  of  that  noble  institution, 
to  whose  interests  he  devoted  all  the  vigour  of  his  manhood.  He 
kept  that  old  Bible  till  his  death.  It  may  be  truly  said  of 
him,  that  he  was  ^'in  labours  most  abundant."  Year  after  year, 
an  increase  of  those  labours  was  rendered  necessary  by  the  con- 
stantly enlarging  operations  of  the  society.  He  undertook  a  large 
portion  of  the  extensive  correspondence,  domestic  and  foreign, 
besides  travelling  frequently  throughout  England  to  attend  anni- 
versary meetings  3  and  these,  in  connection  with  his  other  duties, 
domestic  and  pastoral,  exacted  from  him  an  amount  of  efibrt  which 
few  could  have  sustained  so  long,  and  under  which  his  robust  and 
vigorous  frame  at  last  gave  way.  The  result  was,  that,  when  it 
pleased  God  that  the  hand  of  disease  should  be  laid  upon  him,  all 
the  springs  of  life  seemed  to  have  been  broken  at  once.  He 
quickly  sank  into  a  state  of  entire  prostration,  and  from  the  couch 
of  utter  feebleness,  rose  only  "to  depart  and  be  with  Christ  for 
ever."     The  memorial  adopted  by  the  committee  adds,  "Mr. 


136  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


Brandram  combined  qualities  but  rarely  found  in  the  isame  in- 
dividual,— strength  of  body  and  mind,  talent  and  learning,  solidity 
of  judgment,  singleness  of  purpose,  integrity  of  conduct,  and  an 
independence  of  spirit  always  under  the  control  of  Christian  prin- 
ciple. Not  having  respect  to  his  own  ease,  nor  shunning  reproach 
for  Christ's  sake,  he  laboured  and  toiled,  and  watched  and  prayed, 
in  all  things  commending  himself  to  the  approval  not  of  men, 
but  of  God." 

Of  the  present  secretaries  and  home-agents  of  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society,  nothing  need  be  said  at  present :  the  memo- 
rial to  their  faithful  devotedness,  will,  we  hope,  belong  to  a  yet  far 
future  day.  They  all  rejoice  with  joy  unspeakable  over  the  ripen- 
ing harvest  which  is  beginning  to  be  reaped  of  the  precious  seed 
of  the  word.  The  Right  Hon.  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury  has  suc- 
ceeded Lord  Bexley  as  president.  The  eye,  in  looking  down  the 
present  list  of  vice-presidents,  will  "observe  a  large  phalanx  of 
bishops,  earls,  and  lords.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Pinkerton,  Mr.  Benjamin 
Barker,  Mons.  de  Pressense,  Mr.  W.  P.  Tiddy,  the  Rev.  Isaac 
Lowndes,  Lieut.  Graydon,  and  Mr.  E.  Millard,  are  the  foreign 
agents  at  Frankfort,  at  Smyrna,  in  Paris,  in  Belgium,  at  Malta, 
in  Switzerland,  in  Northern  Italy,  and  at  Breslau.  We  hope  we 
may  have  led  you  to  look  with  earnest  interest  on  all  future  re- 
ports of  their  proceedings. 

In  the  year  1836,  after  a  survey  of  their  field  of  labour,  the 
committee  ask  themselves  in  their  Report,  '^  Is  the  object  of  their 
institution  now  attained?  May  their  mutual  compact  now  be 
honourably  dissolved  ?  and  are  they  at  liberty  to  draw  back  from 
their  post?  They  are  constrained  to  answer.  No."  "Notwith- 
standing the  eiforts  of  all  other  societies  directed  to  the  same 
object,  the  claims  of  the  world  still  multiply  upon  us;  for  there 
is  scarcely  a  country,  civilized  or  uncivilized,  which  does  not  wait 
to  receive  from  us  the  law  of  our  God;  and  even  in  our  own 
metropolis,  there  is  still  an  incredible  number  of  families  not 
almost,  but  altogether,  destitute  of  even  a  fragment  of  the  Scrip- 
tures of  truth." 

In  the  mean  time,  most  cheering  evidences  of  sympathy  and 


SYMPATHY   WITH    THE    SOCIETY.  437 


interest  evince  the  feeling  of  the  country  in  general  toward  the 
well-known  and  loved  society.  It  may  be  mentioned  among  other 
facts,  that  its  legal  advisers,  in  all  cases  of  difficulty,  tender 
gratuitously  their  professional  services;  and  Messrs.  Brown,  Mar- 
ten, Thomas,  and  Hollams,  continue  to  this  day  its  honorary 
solicitors. 

The  Principality  has  always  yielded  to  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society  its  full  quota  ot  worthy  successors  of  the  late  Mr. 
Charles;  and  the  agent  for  Wales  thus  writes  in  1837: — "It  is 
a  source  of  satisfaction  to  me,  that  I  have  been  able  to  travel  so 
many  hundred  miles  with  so  little  expense  to  the  society.  I  have 
journeyed  through  a  country  where  the  Bible  Society  has  many 
good  and  trusty  fellow-labourers :  consequently,  I  have  never  paid 
for  a  single  night's  accommodation  at  an  inn,  during  the  five 
weeks  I  was  from  home.  It  is  true  I  have  been  repeatedly 
accommodated  at  inns;  but  when  I  called  for  my  bill,  have  been 
told  that  they  had  never  any  account  for  an  agent  of  the  Bible 
Society;  and  this  hospitality  has  often  included  conveyance  to 
the  meetings  which  I  have  attended." 

The  same  agent  gives  interesting  tidings  of  Anglesea,  the 
ancient  Mona — the  old  home  of  the  Druids.  He  calls  to  mind 
that  Anglesea  took  the  lead  among  the  Welsh  auxiliaries,  that  it 
had  collected  upward  of  lOOOZ.  in  one  year  for  the  Bible  Society, 
and  that  its  remittances  average  from  500?.  to  GOO/',  per  annum. 
He  adds,  that,  taking  into  consideration  the  limited  extent  of  the 
island,  the  small  number  of  inhabitants,  (48,000,)  and  the  com- 
parative poverty  of  the  people,  this  amount  of  contribution  is 
astonishing,  viz.  threepence  annually  for  every  man,  woman, 
and  child  in  the  island,  and  can  only  be  accounted  for  on  the 
principle  that  "union  is  strength.'^  If  England,  Wales,  and 
Scotland  contributed  in  the  same  proportion,  the  society  would 
have  a  free  income  amounting  to  175,000Z.  per  annum.  It  is  a 
gratifying  fact,  that  in  all  the  English  cities  and  towns  where 
there  is  a  considerable  Welsh  population,  Cambrian  Bible  So- 
cieties are  formed,  to  supply  themselves  with  the  Scriptures,  and 
to  assist  the  Parent  Society  in  its  general  operations.     It  is  ro- 


138  THE   BOOK  AND   ITS    STORY. 


ported  tliat  one  of  these,  tlie  Liverpool  Welsh  branch,  remits  on 
an  average  the  sum  of  350?.  per  annum,  as  a  free  contribution  to 
the  funds  of  the  society. 

Thus,  as  it  was  the  destitution  of  Wales  that  originated  the 
Bible  Society,  we  cannot  but  rejoice  to  behold  the  unabated  zeal 
of  the  Ancient  Britons  to  bestow  the  Divine  word  on  others. 
Would  that  their  example  were  followed ! — for  while  the  Bible 
Society  is  praised  as  at  the  head  of  the  benevolent  institutions  of 
the  age,  not  merely  in  importance,  but  in  the  extent  and  success 
of  its  labours,  its  free  income  of  54,000?.  for  all  Tiome  and  foreign 
purposes,  is  little  more  than  one-half  that  of  the  leading  mis- 
sionary  institutions;  and  while  they  have  doubled  their  income 
in  the  last  fifteen  years,  the  free  contributions  to  the  British 
and  Foreign  Bible  Society  have  not  increased  in  the  same  pro- 
portion. 


The  still  destitute  condition  of  the  poor  Highlanders  of  Scot- 
land engaged  the  attention  of  the  committee.  In  the  poorer  dis- 
tricts, in  years  of  scarcity,  the  people  having  neither  bread  nor 
firing,  and  seldom  if  ever  any  money,  a  vote  of  300  Bibles  and 
700  Testaments  was  made  to  a  member  of  parliament,  who  em- 
ployed colporteurs  in  such  neighbourhoods.  In  the  Shetland 
Isles,  a  missionary  asked  a  young  woman  about  nineteen  years  of 
age,  who  had  been  his  guide  for  several  miles,  whether  she  would 
accept  of  a  sixpence  or  a  New  Testament  for  her  trouble.  The 
question  evidently  seemed  to  throw  her  into  considerable  per- 
plexity; but  she  soon  replied,  ^^I  never  had  a  sixpence  of  my 
own  since  I  was  born,  and  you  may  be  sure  I  should  like  to  have  ' 
one  now;  but  the  New  Testament  is  the  Book  of  Grod,  and  there- 
fore I  will  choose  it,  if  you  please.'' 

The  member  of  parliament  above  referred  to,  Mr.  Lillingston 
of  Lochalsh,  continued  for  several  years  to  receive  grants  of  Bibles 
and  Testaments  for  his  destitute  neighbours.  Mr.  Paterson  visited 
him  in  his  romantic  seclusion  on  the  borders  of  a  land-locked  bay, 
was  introduced  to  his  colporteurs,  and  saw  the  yacht  which  mado 


lARGE   ISSUE    OF   THE    SCRIPTURES.  439 


missionary  voyages  with  the  word  of  life  from  islet  to  islet.  The 
population  were  gradually  taught  to  read;  and  in  1839,  3000 
Bibles  and  Testaments  were  supplied  to  them.  Mr.  L.  sent  a 
donation  of  100^.  from  himself,  and  the  amazing  contribution  to 
the  society  of  621.  from  the  poor  Highlanders,  many  of  whom 
gave  their  little  all  for  the  time-being,  to  testify  their  gratitude. 

In  the  year  1840,  the  society  supplied  38,500  New  Testaments, 
by  way  of  loan,  among  families  still  found  destitute  of  the  Sacred 
Scriptures  in  London,  chiefly  distributed  through  the  agents  of 
the  City  Mission;  and  many  pleasing  results  are  recorded. 

In  the  year  1841,  an  issue  of  the  Scriptures  was  reported  larger 
than  any  ever  made  before :  this  was  owing  to  their  cheapened 
price,  and  the  increasing  efforts  of  the  Auxiliary  Societies.  The 
Liverpool  Town  Mission  made  a  canvass  of  the  neighbourhood 
of  that  large  town;  and  5000  families,  out  of  a  population  of 
15,000,  residing  in  179  streets,  were  found  destitute  of  the  Scrip- 
tures. In  about  one-third  of  the  town  of  Leeds,  1200  families 
were  found  without  Bibles  or  Testaments,  nearly  all  of  whom  were 
declared  to  be  too  poor  to  purchase  them.  These  facts  telling 
upon  one  another,  the  Report  of  1841  announced  an  issue  of  more 
than  ''900,000  copies  of  the  inspired  records,"  from  the  de- 
positories, at  home  and  abroad. 

The  Report  for  1842  alludes  to  Luther's  wish— ''Would  that 
that  book  alone  were  in  all  languages,  before  the  eyes,  in  the  ears, 
and  in  the  hearts  of  all  \"  and  to  the  Bible  Society  as  advancing 
toward  the  fulfilment  of  that  wish.  It  also  mentions  the  pro- 
found reverence  and  delight  of  Luther  and  his  friend  Melancthon, 
while  occupied  in  the  German  translation.  "They  often  paused 
in  their  labours  to  give  free  expression  to  their  wonder,  to  listen 
to  the  'very  voice  of  the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth;'  "  and  the 
writer  adds,  "  Oh !  that  we  might  see  revived  that  spirit  of  eager 
delight  with  which  the  people  who  had  heard  the  reformers  preach, 
hailed  those  first  attempts  to  put  into  their  hands  the  translated 
Scriptures!  '  You  have  preached  CJirist  to  us,'  said  they;  ^now 
let  us  hear  himself!'  and  they  caught  at  the  sheets  given  to  the 
world,  as  a  lett3r  coming  to  them  from  heaven.     A  kindred  spirit 


440  THE   BOOK    AxND    ITS    STORY. 


to  this  u  awalsening  on  the  plains  of  Africa,  and  in  the  islands 
of  the  Southern  Ocean,  Bechuanas,  Tahitians,  New  Zealanders, 
and  RarotonganS;  are  acting  the  part  of  the  German  peasants; 
they  catch  at  the  sheets  given  to  the  world,  as  a  letter  coming 
to  them  from  heaven.  This  letter  from  heaven  it  is  our  single 
object  to  publish  and  circulate;  we  wish  it  to  be  read  by  men 
of  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and  tongues;  we  wish  that  all  the 
earth  should  hear  its  words  of  wondrous  mercy.  Shall  we  speak 
of  discouragements,  or  fear  them?  Shall  we  dwell  on  the  dis- 
tinctions that  divide  us,  important  though  in  some  respects  they 
be?  No;  rather  let  us  hasten  to  bear  each  his  part,  in  putting 
into  the  hands  of  the  whole  human  family  the  common  record 
of  our  Father's  love.  Angels  might  envy  us  our  hojiourable 
employ." 

The  years  1845  and  1846  were  very  remarkable  for  the  in- 
creasing demand  and  distribution  at  home.  Some  friends  visiting 
Blackpool,  a  small  watering-place  on  the  coast  of  Lancashire,  had 
their  attention  awakened  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  neighbour- 
hood, commenced  a  sale  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  and  afterward 
formed  a  Bible  Association.  In  a  few  months,  1800  copies  were 
circulated  in  that  limited  district. 

This  movement  was  greatly  encouraged  by  the  zealous  co-opera- 
tion of  a  gentleman  from  Manchester,  who  returned  home  with 
his  mind  much  set  on  attempting  a  wider  distribution  of  the  Scrip- 
tures among  the  immense  population  by  which  he  saw  himself 
surrounded.  After  conference  and  prayer  with  a  few  pious 
friends,  it  was  resolved  to  make  the  experiment  of  offering  the 
Scriptures  for  sale  among  the  work-people  of  the  numerous  mills 
and  factories,  and  wherever  an  open  door  was  found.  Unexampled 
success  attended  the  effort;  willing  purchasers  presented  them- 
selves in  every  direction;  while  at  Manchester  donations  and  in- 
creased subscriptions  were  promptly  offered,  more  than  sufficient 
to  allay  the  apprehension  of  injury  to  the  general  funds  of  the 
society. 

From  the  Manchester  depository,  96,711  copies  of  the  Scrip- 
turcs  were  issued  in  twelve  months, — a  number  equal  to  the  di.'^ 


BIBLE   DISTRIBUTION   IN    ENGLAND  441 


tribution  of  the  preceding  twelve  years !  The  auxiliaries  at  Liver- 
pool, Bristol,  Bath,  Hereford,  Derby,  Leicester,  and  other  places, 
greatly  increased  their  distributions.  The  total  issues  of  1846 
amounted  to  the  unprecedented  number  of  1,441,651  copies,  and 
those  of  1847  were  no  fewer  than  1,419,283 ! 


From  this  time  the  Song  of  the  Jubilee  may  be  said  to  have 
begun.  Nearly  three  millions  of  copies  issued  in  two  years, — 
forwarded  by  the  most  rapid  conveyances,  such  as  our  fathers 
never  dreamed  of,  to  every  quarter  of  the  globe, — a  bright  point 
in  the  world's  moral  history,  to  which  the  Christian's  eye  could 
turn,  from  all  the  vexatious  dissensions  of  party,  and  especially 
from  the  designs  carrying  on,  on  the  part  of  Home,  to  effect  the 
restoration  of  Britain  to  that  see.  ^'The  pope  has  put  his  foot 
into  England,  but  all  the  nations  look  to  England  and  her  Bible." 
'And  nowhere  has  there  been  a  wider  delivery  of  the  volume  of 
inspiration  than  within  our  own  borders.  Among  the  poor  and 
the  rich,  in  our  rural  districts,  as  well  as  in  our  towns  and  cities, 
in  the  palace,  the  school-room,  and  the  cottage,  the  Bible  is  a 
book  possessed — by  many,  very  many  a  book  beloved.  It  can 
everywhere  in  England  be  the  Book  appealed  to.  Let  the  war 
of  principles  rise  to  whatever  height  it  may,  the  friends  of  the 
Bible  need  not  yield  to  fear. 

In  the  retrospect  of  forty  years,  the  Parent  committee  took  a 
wide  range,  and  made  it  a  season  of  '' solemn  remembrance."  In 
that  forty  years,  more  copies  of  the  written  voice  of  God  had  gone 
forth  upon  the  earth  than  in  any  equal  period  since  the  worh 
began — perhaps  more  than  in  all  former  periods  added  together 
It  must  be  presumed  that  He  who  '^ordereth  all  things  after  the 
counsel  of  his  own  will,"  has  had  s^me  special,  some  extra- 
ordinary, design  in  the  fresh  movement  which  he  has  permitted 
to  take  place. 

When  the  Bible  Society, took  its  rise,  controversy  betweeL 
Christians  was  very  much  at  rest.  Christianity  had  only  to 
struggle  with  infidelity  as  its  common  foe ;  but  now  questions  and 


442  THE   BOOK   AND    ITS    STORY. 


claims  that  had  slept  for  ages  are  re-agitated,  and  symptoms 
spreading  far  and  wide  around  us  mark  the  gathering  storm. 
Meantime  the  Book,  which  must  be  the  only  unfailing  standard 
of  appeal,  is  no  longer  hidden  among  the  wise  and  the  mighty.  It 
is  now  in  the  hands  of  innumerable  people, — an  end  accomplished 
by  Bible  Societies,  possibly  in  preparation  for  this  very  hour. 
^^To  the  law  and  to  the  testimony,"  each  fo.  ourselves;  and,  as 
Wiclif  said,  "The  truth  shall  prevail." 

The  Song  of  Jubilee  is  almost  overpowering,  as  ascending  in 
many  tongues  from  all  regions  of  the  world.  It  is  impossible  to 
convey,  in  the  last  chapter  of  this  little  work,  any  fair  impression 
of  the  spirit  that  pervades  these  "  Reports"  of  the  circulation  of 
the  Book  of  truth  for  the  last  ten  years.  One  of  them,  if  read 
and  thought  upon,  would  seem  enough  to  kindle  a  kindred  flame 
of  zeal  and  love  in  the  hearts  of  a  thousand  fresh  labourers.  Well 
may  the  agents  rejoice  in  their  work,  think  it  the  best  work  in 
the  world,  and  never  weary  of  it,  till  they  wear  out  in  it !  Well 
may  the  hearts  of  the  colporteurs  burn  within  them,  as  their  poor 
(dwellings  are  crowded  until  midnight  by  persons  asking  for  the 
Scriptures,  from  the  lively  boy  to  the  decrepit  old  man* — or  as 
they  obtain  access  to  "wild  and  savage  households,"  and  gather 
out  of  them,  by  the  word  of  God,  the  "brands  from  the  burning" 
— or  when  asked,  "What  sort  of  postmen  are  you,  now,  with 
that  sac  on  your  backs?"  they  reply,  "We  are  higher  postmen 
than  any  other  kind  of  postmen  on  earth  :  we  carry  letters  from 
heaven.  When  we  go  out,  we  cannot  go  without  our  God  going 
with  us.  We  want  courage  and  wi-sdom  from  above,  and  especially 
an  humble  meekness ;  for  the  fiery  and  angry  zeal  of  Peter  cuts 
off,  but  the  Spirit  of  God  in  us  builds  up  :  then  we  confound  the 
mockers,  and  shut  the  mouths  of  gainsayers,  and  the  heart  of  the 
humble  is  refreshed."  Let  us  every  day  pray  for  these  col- 
porteurs, all  over  the  world,  for  they  are  doing  the  great  work 
of  the  age,  as  well  as  those  who  are  directing  them. 

There  are  colporteurs  at  home  as  jrell  as  abroad.     A  colporteur 


*  Kcp  rt,  1845,  p.  xlix. 


OOLPORTAGE  IN  GREAT  BRITAIN.  443 


has  gone  forth  from  Lutterworth,  the  scene  of  Wiclif's  own  la- 
bourS;  and  474  years  after  the  death  of  him  who  first  gave  the 
Bible  to  England,  and  has  sold  in  the  coui'se  of  five  years,  within 
a  circuit  of  ten  miles,  4500  Bibles  and  Testaments.  How  would 
the  reformer  himself  have  rejoiced  to  see  this  day  !  The  man  in 
question  was  a  hawker  by  trade;  and  a  lady  who  desired  the  dis- 
tribution of  the  holy  word  ofiered  him  Id.  for  every  Bible,  and 
^d.  for  every  Testament,  he  might  sell  in  his  accustomed  rounds. 
In  the  first  year,  beginning  August  5,  1847,  he  sold  242  Bibles, 
364  Testaments;  in  tha^i  beginning  1848,  116  Bibles,  211  Testa- 
ments; in  the  third  year,  121  Bibles,  200  Testaments.  In  his 
fourth  year  he  came  under  the  inspection  of  the  Bible  Association 
at  Lutterworth.  From  that  time,  in  addition  to  selling  in  his 
regular  rounds,  he  gave  one  whole  day  every  fortnight  to  the 
sale  of  the  Scriptures  alone,  at  the  average  pay  of  2s.  Qd.  He 
went  into  every  house,  and  sold  to  those  he  met  along  the  road. 
In  the  year  ending  August  1852,  he  sold  384  Bibles,  626  Testa- 
ments; and  in  1853,  471  Bibles,  851  Testaments.  He  walked 
on  an  average,  on  these  especial  days,  eighteen  miles;  he  carried 
perhaps  70  books :  on  one  occasion  he  carried  104,  and  sold  every 
copy! 

Now,  can  there  not  be  found  some  suitable  person  to  colport  in 
this  way  in  every  town  and  village  in  Great  Britain  ?  The  com- 
mittee of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  have  ''  resolved 
to  adopt,  as  far  as  possible,  an  extensive  and  efficient  system  of 
colportage  throughout  Great  Britain  in  this  year  of  Jubilee. '' 
They  will,  durmg  this  year,  and  from  the  "  special  fund''  which 
this  year  will  be  raised  in  addition  to  their  ordinary  income,  be 
able  to  appropriate  grants  of  help  to  such  committees  as  shall 
request  their  aid,  in  order  to  the  appointment  and  inspection  of 
such  colporteurs,  to  carry  the  word  of  God,  and  that  alone,  not 
into  districts  already  canvassed  and  under  the  care  of  Bible  col- 
lectors, but  into  those  stray  hamlets  and  isolated  spots,  as  well  as 
into  all  unvisited  neighbourhoods,  where  the  treasure  has  not 
before  been  ofiered.     In  this  Jubilee  Year,  as  far  as  the  Bibju 


444  THE   BOOK    AND   ITS    STORY. 


Society  can  accomplisli  it,  an  attempt  should  be  made  to  convey 
the  written  word  of  God  to  every  cottage  in  England,  Scotland, 
and  Wales, — we  trust,  not  excepting  Ireland. 

Now,  who  will  not  wish  to  aid  in  this  glorious  work,  by  con- 
tribution or  effort  ? 

The  Rev.  P.  B.  Clifford,  of  St.  Matthew's,  Bristol,  has  lately 
communicated  a  circumstance  which  has  caused  him  peculiar 
pleasure,  that  several  boys  of  his  congregation  have  voluntarily 
come  forward  without  his  suggestion,  and  dedicated  the  money 
which  they  had  saved  for  purchasing  fireworks  on  the  Fifth  of 
November,  to  the  blessed  work  of  sending  the  word  of  God  to 
China.  And  from  one  school  alone  he  has  had  the  gratification 
of  receiving  five  guineas  for  this  holy  enterprise,  which  otherwise 
would  have  been  expended  in  fireworks.  Even  children,  whose 
parents  are  connected  with  Bible  Associations,  can  be  little  col- 
porteurs with  their  bag  or  basket,  and  sell  around  their  own 
homes  many  a  Bible  or  Testament.  They  are  better  sold  than 
given,  as  more  likely  to  be  valued.  There  are  Testaments  for 
fourpence,  and  Bibles  for  tenpence;  with  every  variety  of  supe- 
rior price.  Their  elders  can  seek  or  set  to  work  a  colporteur,— -a 
man  of  piety,  and  of  bodily  strength  to  carry  his  load,  and  walk 
Bufficient  distances, — who  should  render  regular  reports  of  his 
sales  to  responsible  persons  connected  with  the  society,  who  will 
provide  his  stock  and  inspect  his  accounts. 

Oh !  that  when  the  world-wide  Jubilee-meetings  shall  have 
been  held,  and  when  this  system  of  colportage  has  been  fully 
established  all  over  the  country,  the  arrangement  of  which  is  now 
in  progress,  those  meetings  and  those  domiciliary  visits  may  be 
the  means  of  calling  forth,  from  a  thousand  hidden  sources,  per- 
sons who  do  not  even  know  at  this  moment  how  they  could  "work 
together  with  God,"  in  the  distribution  of  his  word,  but  in  whose 
hearts  he  has  planted  the  wish  to  do  so !  Oh !  that  many  may 
come  forward  as  contributors,  each  in  their  degree,  from  a  penny 
to  a  thousand  pounds,  offered  "as  unto  the  Lord,"  or  as  col- 
liBctors,  determined  every  week  to  devote  a  portion  of  their  time 
tc  this  noble  object,  and  to  make  it  henceforth  the  thought  ^ 


BIESSEDNESS    OP   BIBLE    DISTRIBUTION.  445 


tteir  lives  how  they  shall  assist  and  induce  others  to  assist  in 
spreading  the  word  of  God  !  Out  of  this  number  also  may  come 
missionaries  to  carry  the  word  within  the  now  unfolding  doors  of 
China  and  of  India.  Many  would  find  health  and  happiness  even 
for  themselves  in  pursuing  such  an  object. 

There  is  a  true  tale  told  of  a  lady,  who  was  always  ill  and  lying 
on  the  sofa,  till  a  Bible  Association  was  established  in  her  neigh 
bourhood,  of  which  she  became  an  active  and  happy  member,  and 
had  no  more  ill-health.  And  well  might  this  efiect  be  produced 
on  the  physical  frame,  for  the  soul  had  set  before  it  a  great  ob- 
ject. She  entered  upon  a  new  world  of  sympathy  with  all  who 
love  God's  word  upon  earth.  She  was  refreshed  by  the  glad  gifts 
of  the  free  penny  to  the  cause  of  God.  At  many  a  cottage  door 
she  heard  it  said,  "  Yes,  I  will  give  it,  because  my  mother  gave 
it  for  me  when  I  was  a  child.''  "  It  is  but  a  penny  :  but  I  am 
sure  I  am  glad  to  give  the  Bible  to  others ;  I  shall  not  miss  it/' 
No  !  they  not  only  do  not  miss  it,  but  the  blessing  of  Him  who 
seeth  all  things  is  found  to  rest  on  all  they  have.  If  the  selfish 
occupants  of  many  a  larger  mansion,  who  repulse  the  modest 
Bible  collector  with  pleas  of  ^'previous  engagement,"  "having 
nothing  for  charity,"  and  sometimes  the  more  rational  one  of 
''  knowing  nothing  at  all  about  it,"  could  have  paid  with  her 
these  visits  to  these  cottages,  they  would  have  changed  their 
minds,  and  become  helpers  also  in  the  work. 

An  occasional  paper,  issued  by  the  Bible  colportage  committee 
for  the  Manchester  district,  full  of  interesting  facts,  shows  what 
may  be  expected  when  this  system  is  judiciously  conducted.  The 
anecdotes  cannot  be  quoted,  but  one  sentence  is  important :  "  The 
efforts  made  to  distribute  the  Scriptures  among  Romanists  (of 
whom  they  seem  to  have  found  large  numbers)  are  likely  to 
issue  in  much  good."  Six  colporteurs  have  been  employed  :  the 
total  number  of  calls  they  have  made  is  215,916 ;  the  total  num- 
ber of.  Bibles  and  Testaments  sold,  59,247 ;  the  sum  realized  by 
the  sales,  2000?.  lis.  2Jc?.  The  secretary  of  the  Ladies'  Bible 
Association  in  one  of  the  largest  towns  says  :  "  The  sales  effected 
by  the  ladies  have  not  been  at  all  interfered  with  by  the  labours 

38 


446  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


of  the  colporteur ;  for  the  4000  Bibles  and  Testaments  whicli  he 
has  sold  have  been  among  those  to  whom  the  ladies  had  no  means 
of  access,  and  ^v^hom  they  felt  most  anxious  should  be  supplied. 
They  believe  that  not  more  than  one-third  of  the  work  that  might 
be  accomplished  by  a  colporteur  in  this  populous  town  has  yet 
been  done.' 

IRELAND. 

We  must  also  notice  our  sister  isle,  in  which  at  the  present 
time  there  are  about  500  auxiliaries,  in  direct  connection  with 
the  Hibernian  Bible  Society  at  Dublin,  all  of  which  are  more  or 
less  engaged  in  sending  forth  the  precious  word  of  life.  During 
the  last  few  years,  the  annual  distribution  of  the  Scriptures  has 
exceeded  100,000  copies,  making  a  total  of  2,138,437.  This 
however,  is  independent  of  the  large  grants  made  directly  from 
the  Parent  Society  to  the  various  societies  labouring  for  the  bene-* 
fit  of  Ireland,  amounting  last  year  alone  to  upward  of  33,000 
copies,  and  making  a  total  of  1,650,000  granted  to  that  portion 
of  the  British  empire.  Colportage  has  been  carried  on  in  Ireland 
ovet  more  than  thirty  of  its  counties ;  and  by  this  instrumentality 
about  150,009  copies  have  been  distributed  in  seven  years. 

We  cannot  but  view  the  remarkable  movement  taking  place 
among  the  Roman  Catholic  population  in  the  west  of  Ireland  as 
the  result  of  this  distribution.  Notice  of  this  change  has  for 
some  time  past  appeared  in  the  Reports  of  the  Parent  Society :  in 
that  of  1850  is  the  following  : — 

^'It  has  been  very  gratifying  to  the  committee  to  hear  of  the 
religious  movement  that  is  going  on  in  different  parts  of  Ireland, 
produced,  they  are  assured,  by  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures, 
especially  in  the  Irish  language.  A  strong  desire  has  even  been 
expisssed  among  the  people  for  the  Irish  Scriptures  with  margi- 
nal references,  and  intelligence  like  the  following  continually 
reaches  us :  Roman  Catholic  farmers  and  peasants  petition  for  in- 
struction in  the  Irish  Bible,  and  assert  their  'inalienable  right  to 
read  it.'  The  setting  sun  witnesses  young  men  and  maidens,  old 
men  and  children,  leaving  their  homes  under  cover  of  the  shades 


RELIGIOUS    MOVEMENT   IN   IRELAND.  447 


of  evening,  to  steal  to  the  lonely  cabin  on  the  mountain  side,  to 
'  search  the  Scriptures'  by  the  light  of  the  bog-wood  splinter ! 
Daring  and  ferocious  riband-men,  bent  on  deeds  of  blood,  and 
mad  against  the  Protestant  faith,  meet  with  the  ^strange  Book,' 
and  read  it,  and  become  clothed  and  in  their  right  mind,  and  are 
found  sitting  at  the  feet  of  Jesus  !" 

From  the  Mayo  district  we  have  similar  reports :  "  The  word 
of  life  in  the  vernacular  language  is  obtaining  entrance  into  the 
most  retired  parts  of  the  mountain-districts,  and  the  desire  to 
learn  to  read  the  Scriptures  is  increasing  everywhere.  In  1851, 
22,390  copies  were  sold  in  Ireland  by  colporteurs.'' 

Another  cause  of  this  change  may  be  noticed.  The  Secretary 
of  the  Sunday-school  Society  for  Ireland»says:  "In  the  Report 
for  1853,  we  calculate  that  at  least  1,200,000  scholars  have 
passed  through  the  Sunday-schools  during  these  thirty  years.  In 
the  course  of  that  period  there  have  been,  issued  to  the  schools 
three  quarters  of  a  million  of  Bibles  and  Testaments,  and  one 
million  and  a  quarter  of  portions  of  Scripture.  These  are  car- 
ried home  by  the  scholars  to  their  families."  Mere  secular  edu- 
cation would  never  have  wrought  these  wonders  in  Ireland.  This 
religious  movement  has  extended  during  these  three  years  to 
hundreds  and  thousands.  The  Earl  of  Roden  has  testified  to  it 
in  his  interesting  letters;  and  the  very  report  of  it  is  causing 
Roman  Catholics  continually  to  read  and  search  the  Scriptures, 
in  order  to  find  out  what  it  is  that  has  produced  so  extraordinary 
an  efiect  on  their  old  friends. 

The  beautiful  Report  for  1850  closes  with  these  words:  "Is  it 
not  refreshing  in  an  age  like  the  present,  when  the  Bible  is  as- 
saulted and  maligned,  when  its  authority  is  impugned  and  its  in- 
spiration denied, — is  it  not  refreshing  to  behold  this  despised 
Book  going  forth  into  every  land  '  with  signs  and  wonders  follow- 
ing' ?"  Among  the  nearly  8000  verses  of  which  the  New  Tes- 
tament is  composed,  perhaps  every  one  has  touched  some  heart 
and  roused  some  conscience,  and  confirmed  the  faith  of  some  now 
in  glory.     "  We  bow  to  the  oveifwhelming  conviction,  that  tho 


i48  THE   BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


mighty  God,  even  tlie  Lord,  Tiatli  spoken,  and  called  the  eartH 
fix)m  the  rising  of  the  sun  unto  the  going  down  thereof." 


So  much  for  the  Jubilee-field  in  Great  Britain  itself.  The  so- 
ciety has  reached  the  age  of  fifty  years, — an  age  remarkable  in 
the  existence  of  persons,  communities,  and  institutions !  God 
trains  man  for  eternity,  by  making  him  notice  various  periods  of 
time.  Man  numbers  his  own  months  and  years ;  but  God  him- 
self instituted  the  two  periods  of  Sabbaths  and  Jubilees.  There 
have  been  sixty-seven  Jubilees  since  the  word  of  God  began  to 
be  written.  Almost  112  generations  of  men  have  passed  from 
earth  since  then ;  but  only  the  last  and  this  present  have  seen 
that  holy  word  ^^have  free  course  and  prevail.''  What  may  not 
the  generation  now  living,  and  the  next  generation,  yet  see! 
Space  fails  us,  though  vast  topics  of  interest  are  left  untouched 
concerning  the  colonies,  and  exemplifying  the  Bible  as  the  friend 
of  the  negro — happily  no  more  the  slave  of  Britain  !  One  of 
this  rescued  race,  while  reading  a  copy  of  the  Scriptures  given 
to  him  from  the  society,  said,  that  those  who  gave  him  that 
Bible  gave  him  his  life:  he  prays  to  God  for  them.  "I  read," 
said  he,  '^a  chapter,  and  then  God  talks  to  me:  I  shut  my  book, 
and  then  I  talk  with  God." 

Nor  are  the  colonies  alone  passed  over.  The  Bible  in  Burmah, 
and  also  in  Greece,  the  classic  and  apostolic  land,  where  many 
thousands  are  coming  within  the  influence  of  the  Divine  word  in 
being  taught  to  read  it,  offer,  with  countless  other  inviting  fields 
of  research,  a  rich  reward  to  the  exploring  eye.  A  letter  from 
Athens,  says,  '^Missionary  efforts  may  fail,  human  instruments 
may  be  withdrawn,  but  the  word  of  God  must  have  free  course." 
No  seed  cast  upon  the  waters  ever  yielded  so  rich  a  harvest  as 
that  which  issues  from  the  garners  of  the  Bible  Society:  there 
are  many  thousands  here  who  are  still  famishing  for  the  bread 
uf  life. 


REVIEW    OP   THE   PAST.  449 


The  delegates  from  America  informed  us,  witli  every  exprw- 
Bion  of  Christian  sympathy  and  regard,  that  there  are  1400  auxi- 
liary societies  in  America  scattered  over  the  whole  land,  and 
nearly  2800  branch  societies.  When  the  American  Bible  So- 
ciety was  first  formed,  the  districts  now  included  by  these  were  a 
perfect  wilderness,  where  the  savage  roamed  unmolested.  The 
rapid  increase  of  their  population,  their  field  of  labour  widening 
from  year  to  year,  their  new  and  beautiful  Bible  Society  House 
in  New  York,  and  their  income  increasing  by  8500/.  a  year,  with 
their  annual  distribution  of  779,000  volumes,  all  formed  subjects 
of  admiration  to  the  listening  father-land  which  first  made  the 
movement  that  America  rejoiced  to  imitate. 


But  now,  the  Story  of  the  Book  must  close.  The  facts  of  the 
Narrative  will,  it  is  believed,  make  strong  appeal  to  those  who 
already  know  and  love  the  Bible  Society;  but  it  may  possibly  also 
fall  into  the  hands  of  some  who  have  not  hitherto  been  aware  of 
its  claims. 

There  are  hundreds  of  thousands  of  persons  who  are  not  aware 
of  the  existence  of  the  system  of  the  Bible  Society  spreading 
throughout  England,  as  a  great  fact.  They  have  never,  therefore, 
understood  how  much  this  cause  has  tended  to  make  their  country 
what  she  is,  and  to  keep  her  what  she  is — the  land  of  the  Sab- 
bath and  of  the  Bible,  sitting  at  peace  amid  the  tumults  of  the 
nations,  abiding  under  the  blessing  of  her  God,  because  his  word 
is  sent  forth  from  her  borders  to  all  the  earth. 

The  ways  and  means  by  which  this  work  is  done  are  now  before 
those  who  shall  have  read  this  book, — the  facts  and  figures  having 
been  collected  from  authentic  records. 

These  pages  contain  no  new  speculations, — they  are  only  a  pre- 
Bentation  of  the  old  and  the  true.  It  is  hoped  they  will  speak  to 
the  young  with  the  power  of  novelty  :  they,  at  least,  are  not  sup- 
posed to*  hav6  fully  considered  the  details  of  the  past,  and  they 
are  themselves  the  hope  of  the  future.  The  Bible  Society  needs, 
at  this  moment,  fresh  aids  for  fresh  purposes ;  it  needs  the  full 


150  THE   BODK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


amphasie  aid  support  of  tlie  clergy  of  our  National  Church,  and 
of  the  ministers  of  all  other  Christian  churches ;  it  needs  young 
men  and  women  of  all  classes,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  who 
shall  be  devoted  seriously  and  entirely  to  its  noble  service.  Its 
truest  hope  is  in  the  better  part  of  Young  England. 

The  present  age  is  one  of  fearful  indifference  to  the  truth,  as 
well  as  of  open  enmity  to  it ;  and  it  requires  the  enthusiasm  of 
youth  to  strive  against  its  lukewarmness,  as  well  as  against  its 
error. 

To  you,  then,  whose  hearts  are  not  yet  petrified,  the  bloom  of 
whose  early  ardour  is  not  yet  faded  by  intercourse  with  a  pleasure- 
loving  world ;  to  you  who  are  capable  of  being  elevated  in  cha- 
racter by  the  pursuit  of  a  sublime  object,  that  object  is  here  pre- 
sented;  an  object  worth  living  for — and,  if  necessary,  worth 
dying  for. 

Resolve  that  you  will  lay  a  stone  in  this  pyramid  !  that  you  will 
be  a  fibre,  striking  root  from  this  banian  tree.  If  a  Bible  Asso- 
ciation is  formed  in  your  neighbourhood,  or  if  one  has  been  long 
formed  there,  and  it  is  in  a  state  needing  revival,  resolve  that  you 
will  give  it  honest  and  hearty  help ;  and  do  this  in  remembrance 
of  what  will  be  required  at  your  hand  in  that  day  when  God  shall 
say,  '^  Hast  thou  kept  my  word  ?  hast  thou  made  it  known  to  any 
soul  among  thy  perishing  fellow-sinners,  for  my  sake  ?''  Miserable 
will  be  the  answer  if  you  must  reply,  '^  To  no  man,  Lord." 

England  has  done  so  much  for  the  distribution  of  the  Bible, 
that  in  your  day  she  must  do  vastly  more  !  She  has  raised  herself 
by  what  she  has  already  done  into  the  seat  of  high  responsibility. 
She  cannot  draw  back  :  she  must  go  forward.  The  time  is  come 
when  the  members  of  God's  Universal  Church  must  rise  above  the 
spirit  of  party,  and,  ascending  into  the  higher  atmosphere  which 
IS  breathed  in  the  Bible  Society,  (for  in  I^^arl-street,  it  is  said,  they 
never  know  the  denomination  to  which  each  member  belongs,) 
learn  to  agree  on  two  points,  viz.  to  'Hiold  fast  the  faithful  word," 
and  also  "to  love  one  another,"  and  in  this  temper  to  gird  on  their 
armour,  having  in  their  hand  "  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is 
the  word  of  God." 


MOTIVES   FOR   RENEWED   EXERTION.  451 


The  church  of  tradition  has  made  ready  for  the  battle  :  the  hosts 
of  unbelievers  are  zealous  for  the  dispersion  of  their  errors.  Satan 
has  even  contrived  a  new  book  of  falsehood,  called  "  the  book  of 
Mormon/'  whereby  he  is  deluding  thousands  in  this  nineteenth 
century  of  intelligence  and  inquiry.  And  how  are  these  mixed 
hosts  of  evil  to  be  met  ?  There  is  no  new  weapon  to  seek,  but 
simply  to  perceive  the  full  poicer  of  the  old  principle  of  union ,  to 
lay  hold  of  it,  and  to  use  it,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

When  our  own  empire  is  more  fully  supplied  with  the  word  of 
Grod,  and  more  deeply  pervaded  by  its  spirit,  such  a  light  may  go 
forth  from  it  as  shall  bear  the  witness  to  all  the  world.  The  Eng- 
lish language  is  spoken  over  three-quarters  of  the  globe.  Hence 
our  own  opportunities  and  responsibilities  as  a  nation  !  '^  The 
gospel  of  the  kingdom  shall  be  preached  in  all  the  world  for  a 
witness  to  all  nations,"  and  this  is  done  by  the  multiplication  and 
prayerful  distribution  of  copies  of  the  Divine  word,  which  it  is 
promised  shall  be  accompanied  by  the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Missionaries  have  prepared  it  in  the  tongues  of  many  people, 
and  they  are  also  its  chief  distributors  in  foreign  climes.  They 
"  go  forth  weeping,  bearing  precious  seed,  and  shall  doubtless  come 
again  with  rejoicing,  bringing  their  sheaves  with  them.''  Psalm 
cxxvi.  6.  But  it  is  not  promised  that  their  word  shall  convert  the 
nations  :  it  is  Grod's  word  that  is  "  not  to  return  unto  him  void.'' 
The  gospel  is  the  instrument,  and  we  need  not  wait  till  we  -have 
provided  man's  note  or  comment  upon  it,  however  excellent :  "  the 
seed  is  the  word,  and  the  field  is  the  world." 

]Let  any  one  now  aware  of  the  influence  of  which  this  institu- 
tion is  the  great  centre,  endeavour  to  realize  the  sad  idea  of  a 
closed  Bible  Society  House — closed  as  by  a  Bussian  ukase,  or  an 
Austrian  edict — the  shutters  up,  and  the  doors  fastened  !  If  this 
were  possible,  what  a  source  of  light  and  life  to  the  universe 
would  be  extinguished — the  correspondence  of  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society  concluded,  its  accounts  wound  up,  and  its 
officers  dismissed  !  May  that  day  never  dawn  on  our  free  country  ! 
Abiding  under  the  shadow  of  England's  throne,  may  the  Bible 
Society  still  go  on  to  pour  fresh  oil  into  the  seven-branched  candle- 


452  THE    BOOK   AND   ITS    STORY. 


Btick  of  the  ancient  churclies — into  the  Nestorian,  the  Armenian, 
the  Coptic,  the  Abyssinian,  the  Yaudois,  the  British,  and  the  Jew- 
ish— that  in  all  parts  of  the  world  their  light  may  again  lighten 
the  darkness  around  them — and  that  they  may  unite  to  speed  the 
bright  angel  flying  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  ''  having  the  everlast- 
ing gospel  to  preach  unto  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  and  to 
every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  saying  with  a 
loud  voice,  Fear  God  and  give  glory  to  him;  for  the  hour  of  his 
judgment  is  come ;  and  worship  him  that  made  heaven,  and  earth, 
and  the  sea,  and  the  fountains  of  waters!  And  there  followed 
another  angel,  saying,  Babylon  is  fallen,  is  fallen,  that  great  city, 
because  she  made  all  nations  drink  of  the  wine  of  the' wrath  of  her 
fornication."     Kev.  xiv.  6—8. 

"  Very  much  land  is  yet  to  be  possessed,"  vast  is  the  magnitude 
of  the  work  which  remains  to  be  done.  At  the  utmost  possible 
computation  of  Bibles  already  circulated,  700  millions  of  souls, 
or  140  millions  of  families,  are  yet  left  totally  destitute  ! 

Even  if  England,  Wales,  Scotland,  and  Ireland,  were  adequately 
provided,  the  kingdoms  and  countries  of  Europe  are  not  half 
supplied  ! 

Supposing  the  United  States  of  America  to  possess  Bibles  to 
the  same  extent  with  ourselves,  look  at  the  native  tribes,  and  the 
vast  continent  of  South  America !  then  at  all  Asia,  and  Africa, 
and  Oceanica !  and,  impressed  with  a  fresh  sense  of  the  wants  of 
the  world — of  the  power  of  the  Book, — and  of  the  truth  of  its 
Story, — let  us  arise  and  work  while  it  is  called  to-day,  for  the 
night  cometh  when  no  man  can  work — work  together  with  God, 
who  has  said,  "  My  word  shall  not  return  unto  me  void  ; 

BUT  it  shall  accomplish  THAT  WHICH  I  PLEASE,  AND  SHALL 
PROSPER  IN  THE  THING  WHERETO  I  SENT  IT."      Isa.  Iv.  IL 


INDEX. 


A. 

A&Ton,  death  of,  41. 

Abdallah,  his  conversion  and  martyr- 
dom, 324. 

Abyssinian  Church,  112,  296,  421. 

Ada  Bazar,  415. 

Advent  of  our  Lord,  87. 

Africa,  241 ;  South  Africa,  391. 

Agents,  foreign,  of  Bible  Society,  436. 

Ages  without  the  Bible,  18. 

Alaric,  king  of  the  Goths,  105. 

Aldersey,  Miss,  missionary  to  China, 
373. 

Aleppo,  284,  314,  414. 

Ali  Bey,  311. 

Alphabets:  Arabic,  149;  Armenian, 
148;  Coptic,  146;  Erse  or  Irish, 
151;  Ethiopic,  148;  Georgian, 
150;  Gothic,  146;  Persian,  147; 
Sclavonian,  150. 

Amalek,  32,  69. 

America,  241,  278,  449. 

Amharic  Testament,  297;  Amharic 
Bible,  190. 

Anakim,  the  tall,  39,  47. 

Anecdotes  :  African  woman,  352 ;  Aged 
Hindoo,    358;    Bible-bees,    256; 


Bible  seized  by  Romish  priests, 
401;  blind  French  girl,  195; 
Bishop  Corrie,  354;  Rev.  Andrew 
Brandram,  435;  Brahminical  con- 
tempt, 356;  child  and  infidel, 
254;  filial  afiection,  334;  gun 
bought  with  Bible  money,  257 ; 
Highland  girl,  438 ;  Hindoo  rajah, 
356;  Irish  weaver,  261;  Jewish 
conversion,  425 ;  Romish  priest, 
301 ;  subscriber  blessed,  255  ;  Ta- 
hitians  and  Romish  priest,  387; 
Welsh  girl  who  had  no  Bible,  221 ; 
Welsh  peasants,  222. 

Anglesea  or  Mona,  81,  93 ;  astonishing 
contributions  of,  437. 

Antiochus  Epiphanes,  74. 

Apocryphal  books,  73,  204;  not  bound 
up  with  the  Society's  Bibles,  319; 
their  omission  objected  to  by  Ro- 
manists, 319. 

Apollo,  oracle  of,  concerning  Christian- 
ity, 93. 

Apostles,  their  martyrdom,  92. 

Appeal,  closing,  450. 

Arabia,  27 ;  land  where  St.  Paul  com- 
menced his  ministry,  320. 

Arabic,  where  spoken,  320;   the  Ian 
453 


454 


INDEX. 


guage  of  the  Koran,  320;  New 
Testament,  321;  printed  at  Cal- 
cutta, 321 ;  new  version  prepared 
320. 

Arabs,  27,  319,  323. 

Archbishop  of  Canterbury's  sermon, 
163. 

Argyll's,  Duke  of,  speech,  303. 

Aristobulus  of  Judea,  77,  82. 

Armenian  Bible,  295. 

Armenian  Church,  110,  294,  411. 

Armenians,  American  missions  to,  295, 
412;  Bible  venerated  by,  412; 
gospel-readers,  413. 

Arrow-headed  writing,  66. 

Askew,  Ann,  166. 

Asselin,  Mons.,  French  consul  in 
Egypt,  190,  298. 

Asser,  tutor  to  King  Alfred,  121. 

Assyria,  fountain  restored  in,  405. 

Augustine,  Bishop  of  Hippo,  119. 

Augustine,  Bishop  of  Rome,  his  mis- 
sion to  England,  119. 

Australia,  383. 

Austria,  306,  393. 

Authorised  English  version,  181. 

Autograph  Deuteronomy,  43. 

Auxiliary  at  Reading,  248. 


B. 

Babylon,  71. 

Bagster's  Bible  of  Every  land,  172.     . 
Bangor-Iscoed,  119. 
Banian  tree,  246. 
Barker,  Mr.  B.,  313. 
Beckwith,  Major-General,  423. 
Bede,  the  Venerable,  120,  258. 
Belgium,  306,  400. 
Bexley,  Lord,  434. 

B'ble:    perils  of  a  Bible  agent,  315; 
Bible  House,  138,  179;   need  of, 


in  Ireland,  231 ;  price  of,  in  Wic 
lif 's  time,  139  ;  distribution  among 
Roman  Catholics,  300  ;  in  Russia, 
308;  Italian,  197;  Breton,  188; 
Malagassy,  197;  Chinese,  198; 
Swedish,  Portuguese,  French, 
Russian,  Amharic,  Tahitian,  Ma* 
.  lay,  English  Family  Bibles,  Dia- 
mond, Pearl,'  and  Ruby  Bibles, 
199 ;  unbound,  199 ;  the  Bishops 
Bible,  181 ;  Bible  translations  in 
the  16th  century,  145;  Bible, 
standard  of  appeal,  442 ;  Bible 
binding,  212;  folding,  209;  rol- 
ling, collating,  sewing,  recoUating, 
pressing,  cutting,  gilding,  burn- 
ishing, sprinkling,  marbling, 
rounding,  211;  Bibles  never  issued 
by  the  Society  unbound,  213. 

Bible  Society:  authorised  in  Russia, 
308 ;  death  of  friends  of,  332 ;  its 
origin,  217;  its  objects  and  consti- 
tution, 229 ;  its  principles  of  Union,. 
226;  present  free  income  of,  376; 
its  need  of  support,  450. 

Bilney  the  martyr,  153. 

Blackfriars',    Church    and   Monastery 
of,  137. 

Black-pool,  440. 

Blind,  Bible  for  the,  194. 

Book,  the,  and  its  circulation,  become* 
the  guide,  98. 

Books  of  New  Testament,  89. 

Borrow,  Mr.  G.,  376. 

Boughton,  Lady  Jane,  137. 

Boulogne,  matelots  de,  346. 

Bradby,  John,  136. 

Brandram,  Rev.  Andrew,  435. 

Bran,    the    father   of  Caraetacus,   at 
Rome  with  St.  Paul,  93,  114. 

Britanny,  114,  115,  188. 

British  Church,  114,  117,  119.  . 

British  Museum,  20,  65. 


INDEX. 


455 


Britons,  Ancient,  77. 
Browne,  Rev.  G.,  335. 
Buchanan,  Dr.,  30,  192,  240,  292,  293. 
Buenos  Ayres,  317. 
BuUom,  King  of,  321. 
Burckhardt,  284,  285. 
Buriat  Mongol  missions,  311,  376. 
Burning  the  Bible  at  Paul's-cross,  162, 
163. 


c. 


Caesar,  77. 

Calmuc  gospel,  309. 

Cambridge,  search  for  Bibles  at,  160. 

Campbell,  Rev.  J.,  in  South  Africa,  325. 

Canaanites,  47. 

Canon,  46,  72;  of  Scripture,  72. 

Captivity  and  return  of  Judah,  60 

Cardinal  Wolsey,  138,  162,  165. 

Carey,  Dr.,  his  doath,  186. 

Celtic  nations,  78. 

Charles,  Rev.  T.,  of  Bala,  217-224,  231, 
232. 

China,  364;  tablet  of  Se-gnan-ioo,  364; 
Nestorian  Missions  in,  365 ;  Chi- 
nese manuscript,  239,  365 ;  Dr. 
Morrison's  mission  to,  365 ;  his 
Chinese  dictionary,  366;  Tsae-ako, 
his  first  convert,  366 ;  Dr.  Milne, 
367;  Leang-a-fah,  first  Chinese 
Evangelist,  his  tract,  368 ;  distri- 
bution of,  and  persecution,  367 ; 
the  rebellion,  368 ;  Sew-tseuen,  its 
leader,  his  writings  and  opinions, 
369;  his  history,  370;  vast  idol 
temple  in  China,  370;  lucky  days 
expunged  from  the  almanac,  370  ; 
vast  population  of,  374 ;  Protestant 
missionaries  in,  374;  scarcity  of 
fo.od  in,  374;  Bible  in  China,  374. 

Chinese  Bible,  186,  366. 


Chinese  hatred  of  images,  370;  ac- 
knowledge all  men  as  brethren, 
371 ;  possess  the  fi'st  twenty-seven 
chapters  of  Genesis,  371 ;  need  the 
New  Testament,  371 ;  the  million 
copies,  371 ;  their  Great  "Wall, 
371 ;  their  simple  mode  of  print- 
ing, 372;  generals  of  the  insur- 
gent army,  372 ;  the  Scriptures, 
Society's  grants  for,  378  ;  portions 
of,  distributed,  and  where,  378. 

Christianity,  early,  in  Scotland,  94. 

Christians,  Bohemian,  129. 

Church  of  the  Book,  38,  85,  98,  101, 
106,  119,  300,  341. 

Churches  founded  in  consequence  of 
circulation  of  word  of  God,  145, 
398. 

Circle  of  doomed  countries :  Nineveh, 
63;  Jerusalem,  67;  Tyre,  68;  Pe- 
tra,  69 ;  Babylon,  71 ;  Egypt,  70. 

Claude  of  Turin,  122. 

Clugni,  14^. 

Cobham,  Lord,  137; 

Cochloeus,  156. 

Cockle,  Mr.,  378. 

Coffin,  the  oldest,  20. 

Collectors,  Bible,  474. 

Colonies,  British,  478. 

Committee-rooms  in  Bible  House,  192; 
case  of  Bibles  in  the,  193 ;  Mr, 
Wyld's  map,  194;  portrait  of  Tyn- 
dal,  194;  other  portraits,  195. 

Colportage  on  the  continent,  335 ;  at 
Manchester,  445. 

Colporteur,  his  work,  339 ;  at  Radnor^ 
339;  at  Lutterworth,  471. 

Colporteurs:  Vaudois,  124,  144,  233; 
in  France,  336,  338 ;  in  the  High- 
lands and  islands  of  Scotland,  438; 
in  Sweden,  432;  in  Holland,  429, 
in  Belgium,  402 ;  in  India,  360. 

Columba,  116,  117,  118. 


456 


INDEX. 


Constantino,  the  Armenian,  111. 
Constantine,  the  Emperor,  103. 
Constantinople,  missionaries  at,  393 ; 

Jubilee  meeting  at,  417. 
Continent,  state  of,  432,  433. 
Coptic  Church,322, 419;  Bible,  323,419. 
Council,  the  earthquake,  131 ;  of  Nice, 

103;  of  Toulouse,  133. 
Courtenay,  Archbishop,  131. 
Coverdale's  Bible,  180. 
Crystal  Palace,  193. 
Cyril,  the  child-martyr,  99 
Cyrus,  60. 


D. 


Dajacks  of  Borneo,  384. 

Dalaber,  Anthony,  158. 

Daniel,  60;  the  "four  beasts,"  74;  the 
"  two  pictures,"  73. 

Dark  ages,  123. 

David,  51 ;  David's  Bible,  51. 

Deluge,  19;  Job's  allusions  to,  29. 

Denmark,  277,  431. 

Derbecq,  the  king  of  colporteurs,  3S7. 

Diez,  Baron  von,  311. 

DiflSculty  of  translation,  326. 

Dioclesian  persecution,  100;  medals 
100. 

Doom-rings,  81. 

Douay  Bible,  187. 

Dress  of  Virgin  Mary  at  Rome,  376. 

Druidical  remains,  80. 

Druids,  Hebrew  origin  of  the,  78. 

J)utch  Bibles,  scarcity  of,  264 ;  colo- 
nists in  India,  293. 


E 


Ebal,  48. 

Early  bishops,  96. 


Edward  VI.,  181. 

Egypt,  70. 

Egypt,  ancient,  rise  of  its  idolatrie* 

19,  20. 
England,  247,  434. 
English  Bible,  152. 
Erasmus,  153. 
Essenes,  84. 
Esther,  72. 

Ethelbert's  temple  to  Diana,  160. 
Ethioptic  New  Testament,  298 ;  manu. 

script  Bible,  179. 
Ewald,  Rev.  Mr.,  424. 
Exode  of  Israel  from  Egypt,  32. 
Ezekiel,  59. 
Ezra's  ministry,  60 ;   law   redelivered 

by,  61. 


F. 

Fable,  by  Mr.  Dealtry,  251. 

Fee-jee  Isles,  390. 

Felix  Neflt,  422. 

Fireworks,  money  intended  for,  given 

to  send  Testaments  to  China,  444. 
First  century,  89. 
Foster's,     Rev.    John,   letter    to    Mr. 

Hughes,  334. 
France,  gift  of  Vaudois  Church  to,  143; 

want  of  Scriptures  in,  233-238; 

Jews  in,  281 ;  no  French  Bible  in 

Paris,  305  ;  present  Bible  circula. 

tion  in,  397,  398. 
Friars,  black,  white,  and  grey,  132. 
Frontispiece,  description  of,  165. 
Fryth,  John,  the  martyr,  153,  159. 


G. 

Galitzin,  Prince,  speech  of,  308. 
Garrett,  Thomas,  158. 


INDEX. 


457 


Gaussen's,    Professor,    opiuions,   174, 

192. 
Geneva  Bible,  181. 
Gerizim,  48. 

Germany,  religious  state  of,  265 ;  suc- 
cess of   Bible    Society  in,   266; 

present  state  of,  430. 
Ghizeh,  pyramid  of,  20. 
Gilly,  Dr.,  109,  422. 
Gobat,  Bishop,  190,  298. 
Golden  shoes  and  scarlet  gloves,  162. 
Gospel  of  Luke,  in  Gipsey  language. 

396. 
Gospels  in  Buriat  Mongol,  309. 
Gospels,  when  written,  95. 
Graydon,  Lieutenant,  396. 
Great  Britain,  her  dominions,  243. 
Greece,  316,  448. 
Greek  Church,  110;  philosophers,  82; 

Testament  of  Erasmus,  139. 
Gurney,  Mr.,  on  the  moral  state  of  the 

continent,  404. 
Gutalafiffi,   Dr.,  colporteurs  in  China, 

378. 


H. 

Heathen  countries,  324,  352. 
Hebrew,    ancient,    specimen    of,   29 ; 

manuscripts,  30 ;  New  Testament, 

288. 
Hebron  or  Arba,  48. 
Henderson,  Mr.,  274,  276. 
Henry  VIII.,  164,  165,  167,  170,  180. 
Heresies,  earliest,  95,  98. 
Heresy,  meaning  of  the  word,  98. 
Herod,  82. 

Hieroglyphics,  22;  balance-scene  in, 25. 
Highlanders'  subscription,  439. 
Highland  girl,  her  choice,  438. 
History-ltfssons,    a   child's   notion   of, 

304. 


Holland,  264,  428. 
Horeb,  Mount,  31. 
Hosea,  the  prophet,  62. 
Hughes,  Kev.  Joseph,  227,  332. 
Huguenots,  130,  398. 


Iceland,  education  in,  273 ;  Mr.  Hen. 
derson's  visit  to,  276 ;  scarcity  of 
Bibles  in,  277. 

Ignatius,  96. 

Ignorance,  general,  121,  123. 

Income  of  Bible  Society,  438. 

Indulgences,  136. 

Infidel  publications,  351. 

Innocent  III.,  127. 

Inquisition,  127. 

Inscriptions  :  Egyptian,  21 ;  Sinaitia^ 
34. 

Inspired  persons,  95. 

lona,  79,  115,  116,  118,  120,  141. 

Ireland :  destitution  of  Scriptures  in, 
and  supply,  274,  446  ;  schools  in, 
447. 

Irish  New  Testament,  151 ;  the  pea- 
santry desire  the  Scriptures,  261. 

Ishmael,  69. 

Israel  and  Judah,  52. 

Israelites,  bondage  of,  26 ;  captivity  of 
Judah,  59 ;  entrance  into  Canaan, 
46 ;  murmurings  of,  41 ;  seven  sing 
of,  38 ;  six  servitudes  of,  50 ;  ten 
tribes  of,  57;  wanderings  of,  32. 

India,  352 ;  its  population,  353 ;  tho 
Bible  there,  354;  Bishop  Corie  in, 
354;  Bibles  translated  for,  354; 
Calcutta  Bible  Association,  355; 
missionary  tours,  357;  American 
mission,  358 ;  Baptist  mission, 
186,  361 ;  Church  of  England  mis- 
sion,  360 ;  London  mission,  358  ■ 


39 


468 


INDEX. 


German  mission,  357;  Dr.  Bu- 
chanan, 359;  anecdote  of  Pran- 
kissen  Singh,  358;  Madras  Bible 
Association,  359;  new  desire  of 
natives  for  Scriptures,  361 ;  grant 
for  colportage,  361 ;  learned  na- 
tive convert,  362 ;  "  village  of 
learners"  from  Bengali  New  Tes- 
tament, 363  ;  devil-worship,  364  ; 
copies  circulated  since  1804,  364,. 


J. 


Jannaeus,  76. 

Japan,  no  Bible  for,  379 ;  Jesuits  in, 
379;  enmity  to  Christianity,  379. 

Japanese  vessel,  wreck  of,  380. 

Javanese  translation,  428. 

Jebel  Mousa,  37. 

Jehoiakim,  burial  of,  59. 

Jersey,  destitution  of  Bibles  in,  340; 
letter  from,  340  ;  grants  of  Bibles 
to,  340 ;  Bible-collector  in,  341 ; 
duty  of  Jersey  toward  France, 
343. 

Jerusalem,  destruction  of,  94. 

Jesuit,  accusation  by,  403. 

Jewish  converts  persecuted  by  Jews, 
289  ;  rabbi  at  Aleppo,  284. 

Job,  the  book  of,  28. 

Jews:  their  persecutions,  280;  their 
numbers,  283 ;  white  and  black, 
294 ;  ignorant  of  their  own  pro- 
phets, 425. 

Jobaritae,  an  Arab  tribe,  28. 

John  the  Baptist,  88. 

Joshua,  46-49. 

Josiah,  44. 

Jubilee  review,  337. 

Jubilees  and  Sabbaths,  443. 

Jubilee  Year,  337. 

Judah's  Idolatry,  68,  71. 


Judas  Maccabeus,  75. 
Judea  added  to  Roman  empire,  76. 
Judges,  book  of,  49. 
Juvenile   associations,   343 ;  proceeds 
of,  344  ;  results  hoped  for,  345. 


K. 

Karaite  Jews,  286. 

Karnak,  temple  of,  21,  52,  71. 

Kieffer,  Professor,  305. 

King  Alfred,  121. 

Kings  of  Israel,  51;  all  wicked,  63. 

Knill,  Rev.  R.,  377. 

Koran,  no  society  for  distribution  of, 

319,  418 ;  specimen  of,  102. 
Kurds,  Scriptures  among,  416. 


L. 

Ladies'  associations,  339. 

Last  Supper,  91. 

Law  in  the  desert,  42;  under  the 
judges,  50 ;  to  be  copied  by  Le- 
vites,  42;  giving  of  the,  36;  to 
be  written  by  the  Kings  of  Israel, 
51. 

Layard,  Dr.,  his  discoveries,  65,  313; 
his  opinions,  417. 

Leander  Von  Ess,  303. 

Leicester  Abbey,  165. 

Letter,  encyclical,  of  Pope  Leo  XII., 
402. 

Levite,  42. 

Lights  upon  the  letter,  192. 

Lillingston's  colporteurs,  439. 

Liverpool  town-mission,  439. 

London,  ancient,  93. 

Loochoo  Islands,  381 ;  naval  mission 
at,  381 ;  difficulties,  381 ;  transla- 
tion of  Scriptures,  382. 


INDEX. 


459 


Lord's  Prayer  in  all  languages,  187. 

Luther,  169 ;  his  own  German  Bible 
in  the  British  Museum,  183,  184; 
his  wish,  439  ;  his  work  of  trans- 
lation, 439. 

Lutterworth  Church,  132 ;  colporteur, 
443. 

Luzerna,  vows  of,  129. 

Lyons,  early  martyrs  at,  97. 


M. 

Maccabees,  75. 
Madagascar,  198. 
Mohammedan  countries,  319. 
Mohammedanism,  rise  of,  102. 
Mohammedans   less   prejudiced    than 

formerly,  392. 
Mohamet  Kamah,  185. 
Malaysia,  Borneo,  384. 
Malta  Bible  Society,  322. 
Manchester  in  1846,  441. 
Mangaia,  South  Seas,  "  the  new  book 

of  Job,"  389 ;  popery  rejected  in, 

390. 
Mankind,  dispersion  of,  19. 
Mantchoo    type   forwarded  to  China, 

379. 
Manuscript   library   in   Bible  House, 

188. 
Manuscript     Nestorian     Bible,     189 ; 

writers,   141;  Breton  Bible,   188; 

Alexandrine,  108 ;   of  the  Bible, 

cost  in  the  eleventh  century,  126  j 

Chinese,  in  British  Museum,  239  ; 

Ethiopic  Scriptures,  190. 
Marinus  the  martyr,  99. 
Martyn,  Rev.  Henry,  his  Arabic  New 

Testament,  320. 
Martyrs,  198  ;  Lollards,  137. 
Mendicant  friars,  '31. 
Methuselah,  19, 


Millard,  Mr.  E.,  430. 

Miracles,  age  of,  32. 

Missionary  letters  on  translation,  326. 

Moffat,  Rev.  R.,  330 ;  his  New  Testa- 
ment  in  Sechuana,  331 ;  his  feel- 
ings, 392. 

Mohawk  translation,  278. 

Monasteries,  rise  of,  105 ;  use  of,  140. 

Monastery  of  black-friars,  137. 

Monmouth,  Humphrey,  155. 

More,  Sir  Thomas,  156. 

Morrison,  Dr.,  240,  366,  367. 

Moses,  his  training,  26 ;  his  death,  44. 

Motives  for  renewed  exertion,  452. 

Mount  Hor,  41. 

Mycerinus,  King,  20. 


N. 

Nantes,  edict  of,  its  revocation,  234. 

Nazareth,  reading  of  the  Scriptures  at, 
427. 

Nebo,  44. 

Nebuchadnezzar,  62  ;  his  dream,  73. 

Negro,  remark  of,  448. 

Nero's  troublesome  coat,  92. 

Nestorius,  109. 

Nestorians,  291 ;  papists  among,  408  ; 
Dr.  Layard's  sketch  of,  409 ;  Be- 
der  Khan  Bey's  massacre  of,  410 ; 
diggers  at  Nineveh,  410;  Chinese 
relics  among,  411;  Rev.  D. 
Stoddart's  account  of,  406. 

Nestorian  Church,  110,  296,  405;  first 
missionaries,  109 ;  its  tenets,  its 
liberality,  407 ;  its  manuscripts, 
408  ;  influence  of  holy  Scripture 
upon  Nestorians,  408. 

New  Testament,  gradual  circulation  of, 
97  ;  copy  of,  found  in  the  posses- 
sion of  a  Patagonian  chieftain,  317. 

New  Zealand,  390. 


160 


INDEX. 


Nicomedia,  414,  415;  church  at,  100, 

413. 
Nisroch,  67. 
Norway,  272,  432. 
Number  of  Bibles  at  different  periods, 

174. 
Nuremberg,  Bible  Society  at,  238. 


0. 

Obelisk  at  Nineveh,  66. 

Oberlin,  236 ;  desire  after  the  Bible  in 

France,  301. 
Oberlin,  Henry,  238. 
Oddur,  his  translation  of  the  Scriptures, 

into   Icelandic,    274;    prayer   of, 

274. 
Old  books  of  stone,  21,  52,  64. 
Old  St.  Paul's  cathedral,  160. 
Old  Testament,  its  writers,  30. 
Ollas,  Indian,  293. 
Owen,  Rev.  John,  225,  227 ;  his  visit 

to  Oberlin's  parish,  237 ;  death  of, 

259. 
Oxford,  search  for  Bibles  at,  159. 


P. 

Pagan  persecutions,  92. 

Pali  version,  185. 

Papacy,  progress  of,  104. 

Papyrus  rolls,  29. 

Paris,  an  effort  to  spread  the   gospel 

there,  305. 
Patagonian  chieftain,  317. 
Paternoster-row,  apple  orchards  in,  160. 
Paterson,  Rev.  J.,  274. 
Patrick,  St.,  or  Succat,  115 
Paulicians,  111.  * 
Paul's  Cathedral,  Old  St.,  160 ;  cross, 

162;  crypt  of,  166. 


Pearce,  Mr.  Nathaniel,  297. 

Pelagius,  114. 

Penance,  136. 

Pentateuch,  30. 

Persecution,  a  blessing  to  Christians, 
97,  160;  Domitian,  94;  of  Jewish 
converts,  by  Jews,  288. 

Persian  Testament,  184;  Scripture". 
189. 

Petra,  69. 

Pharaoh,  meaning  of  the  name,  20. 

Pharisees,  traditions  of  the,  85. 

Pinkerton,  Dr.,  287,  312. 

"  Pinking  the  world,"  345. 

Polyglots,  182. 

Pompey,  76. 

Pratt,  Rev.  Josiah,  226. 

Prayer  of  nuns,  144. 

Printing,  139  ;  anger  of  the  monks  at, 
140 ;  press,  142 ;  early  ages  of, 
199 ;  division  of  labour  in,  200 ; 
machine,  204;  presses  at  Oxford, 
199  ;  at  Shacklewell,  199 ;  hydrau- 
lic press,  206  ;  paper,  30 ;  process 
in  making,  207. 

Prisoners  in  salt-fish  collar,  159. 

Prophets,  rolls  of,  55  ;  table  of,  54,  56. 

Protestant  churches,  414;  countries, 
428;  doctrine,  116. 

Protestantism,  fall  of  England's,  119. 

Protestants,  early,  109. 

Protests,  early,  122. 

Psalm,  the  Bible,  51. 

Psalms,  Ethiopic  versions  of  the  book 
of,  297. 

Prussia,  267. 

Pyramids,  size  of,  20. 


R. 


Rabbins,  86. 

Rarotongan  Scriptures,  S88. 


INDEX. 


461 


Redcliffe,  Lord  Stratford  de,  speech  of, 
417. 

Rekshere,  tomb  of,  26. 

Relics,  first  reckoned  precious,  103. 

Beneirius,  the  inquisitor,  127. 

Rephaim,  47. 

Rephidim,  32. 

Reports,  Society's,  not  dull  books,  352. 

Responsibilities  of  the  friends  of  the 
Bible,  350. 

Revelation,  meaning  of,  17  ,*  at  first 
given  to  the  Jewish  nation  only, 
90 ;  committed  afresh  to  the  apos- 
tles for  all  nations,  90. 

Review  of  the  past,  450. 

Roman  Catholic  priest  opposed,  301 ; 
the  priests  and  the  Apocrypha,  in 
South  America,,  319. 

RoU,  the  lost,  57;  the  burnt,  58. 

Roman  dominion,  77. 

Rome  Pagan  changed  to  Rome  Papal, 
106. 

Romaunt  translation,  123. 

Rosetta  Stone,  25. 


S. 


Sabat  and  Abdallah,  324. 
Sadducees  infidels,  84. 
Saint  Paul's  cross,  162,  164. 
Samaritan  Jews,  57 ;  Pentateuch,  57. 
Samuel,  the  prophet,  50,  51. 
Satan's  two  vast  schemes  against  the 

Book,  101. 
Saviour,  our,  public  ministry  of,  95. 
Sawtree,  "William,  136. 
Scheiddegger,  Catherine,  237. 
Schepler,  Maria,  237. 
Scotland,  115,  116,  232. 
Scriptorium,  135. 
Soripture3,    fivo   ancient   versions   of, 


107  J    scattered    by    persecution, 

94. 

Sennacherib,  66. 

Septuagint  translation,  73. 

Serpents,  fiery,  43. 

Serpent-worship,  79. 

Seven  sins  of  Israel,  38. 

Shacklewell,  printing  establishment  at, 
199. 

Shagdur's  bushel  of  seed-corn,  377. 

Shishak,  53. 

Simon  the  Just,  74. 

Sinai,  35;  eleven  months  at,  38. 

Societies  for  the  distribution  of  the 
Scriptures  existing  before  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society,  228. 

Solomon,  52. 

Song  of  the  Jubilee  begun,  441. 

Souls,  transmigration  of,  20 

South  America,  317. 

Spain  possessed  the  gospel  in  the  first 
century,  93. 

Spain  and  Portugal,  394;  distribution 
of  the  Scriptures  in,  395. 

Steinkopff,  Dr.,  223;  his  visit  to  Ger- 
many, in  1851,  431. 

Stereotype  plates,  203. 

Stones  of  memorial,  80. 

Subscriber  to  the  Bible  blessed,  255. 

Superstition  in  South  America,  319. 

Swabia,  communication  from  a  Roman 
Catholic  clergyman  in,  302. 

Sweden,  270 ;  religious  state  of,  271 ; 
results  of  distribution  in,  272. 

Swedish  Bible,  182. 

Switzerland,  269 ;  and  North  Italy, 
396. 

Sympathy  with  Bible  Society,  437. 

Synagogues,  83 ;  rulers  of,  83. 

Syrian  Christians,  291 ;  at  Aleppo,  294; 
Old  Testament,  293;  Pentateuch, 
1S9;  vine,  39. 


30* 


i62 


INDEX. 


T. 


Tacitus,  93. 

Tahiti,  Kev.  J.  Williams  in,  328,  385 ; 

Bible  prized  in,  386. 
Tahitians  and  Romish  priest,  conversa- 
tion between,  387. 
Talmud,  86. 

Tamil,  first  Indian   translation,  240 ; 
territory,  240 ;  Scriptures,  scarcity 
of,  240. 
Targums,  84. 

Tartary,   Scriptures  among  Jews  in, 
426;  movement  among  Jews  in, 
426. 
Teachers,  false,  96 ;  uninspired,  96. 
Teignmouth,  Lord,  332  j  sentiment  of, 

188. 
Temple    at   Jerusalem  rebuilt  under 
Ezra,  60  j  taken  by  Pompey,  76  j 
cleansing  of,  75  ;  rebuilt  by  Herod, 
82. 
Tertullian,  saying  of,  97. 
Thebes,  or  Theba,  meaning  of,  21 ;  its 
Scripture  name,  21 ;   Mr.  Jowett 
at,  323. 
Thompson,  Dr.,  extract  from  letter  by, 

318. 
Toulouse,  law  made  at,  133. 
Tract  a  pioneer  to  the  Bible,  348. 
Tract  Society,  depository  of,  162. 
Tradition,  patriarchal,  19. 
Translations  of  the  Bible,  list  of  fifty, 
made  previous  to  1804,  170,  171. 
Translations,  how  obtained,  191 ',   for 
India,  by  Dr.  Carey,  186 ;  prepar- 
ing for  Europe,  142. 
Triads  of  the  Druids,  81. 
Tribes,  the  lost  ten,  57. 
Tonstall,  Bishop,  156. 
Turkey,   European   and  Asiatic,  310, 
316. 


Turkish  Bible,  finished,  314;  manu- 
script, by  Ali  Bey,  311. 

Tuscany,  397. 

Tyneal,  William,  152,  154,  156,  164; 
death  of,  and  of  Wolsey,  compared, 
165. 

Tyre,  68. 

Type,  distribution  of,  202;  cost  of,  for 
Diamond  Bible,  203. 


u. 

Union  among  free-thinkers,  351 ;  for 
God's  word's  sake,  174;  first  two 
principles  of,  in  early  church,  97; 
coming  back  to  these,  226,  461. 

United  Brethren,  129. 

United  States  of  America,  278. 


Y. 

Vaudois  Church,  124,  298,  422. 

Vaudois  people,  125;  knowledge  of 
Scripture,  126;  persecutions  of, 
127,  128  :  sufferings,  235;  recep- 
tion at  Grcneva,  235. 

Versions  of  Scripture :  ancient,  107 ; 
Alexandrine,  108;  before  1804, 
170,  171;  Coverdale's,  180;  De 
Sacy's,  143;  Douay,  187;  Dutch, 
172 ;  extant  in  first  century,  145 ; 
in  sixteenth,  145;  New  England 
Indian,  173;  Malay,  173;  Olive- 
tan's,  143;  Persian,  184;  Tamil, 
173;  Tyndal's,  180;  Welsh,  182; 
Wiclif's,  180;  Bohemian,  184; 
Pali,  185. 

Vigilantius,  108. 

Voices  from  heaven,  19. 


INDEX. 


463 


W. 

Wady  Mokatteb,  33. 

Waldenses  Bible  Society,  298. 

Waldo,  Peter,  124. 

"Wales,  collections  in,  226;  scarcity  of 
Scriptures  in,  220 ;  circulating 
schools  in,  220 ;  large  portions  of 
Bible  committed  to  memory  by 
Welsh  children,  221.. 

Walsh,  Sir  John,  154. 

Wandering  of  Israelites,  41 ;  thirty- 
eight  years  of  unknown,  40. 

Warehouse.  Bible  Society's,  196. 

War  in  Europe,  time  of,  238 ;  prison- 
ers of  war,  239. 


Welsh  Bible,  182. 

Welsh  language  compared  with  th« 
Breton,  189. 

Wiclif,  131 J  his  monument,  134;  pul- 
pit, 135;  version  of  Scriptures, 
180;  revenge  on,  134;  his  Testa- 
ment, 180. 

Williams,  Rev.  John,  his  letter  oo 
translation,  328. 

Winged  bull,  65. 

Wolsey's  search  for  New  Testaments, 
158. 

Wong-shao-yet  colporteur  in  Chin«» 
378. 

Written  voices  of  God,  198. 


